In a new rulemaking governing broker-motor carrier contracts, regulators stop short of an out-right ban on transparency waivers sought by truckers.
Safety and trucking capacity changes resulting from new CDL restrictions could hinge on how effective each state is in implementing the regulation.
Delays in setting up a new registration system will push back compliance deadlines for a rule addressing freight fraud in trucking.
Roughly 6% of CDL holders may be involved in predatory lease contracts with their carriers, according to a federal task force.
Safety and cost implications for trucking weigh heavily on three rulemakings that could see action next year.
A demand spike in truckload markets can leave independent drivers particularly vulnerable to fraud and theft.
Regulators have approved a motor carrier’s equipment exemption despite opposition from a safety-standard group.
FMCSA has been told to strengthen ELD requirements after a fatigued truck driver was found to be the probable cause of a 2022 crash that killed three people.
Community colleges around the country will use grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand and improve their CDL programs.
A second Trump administration could mean drastic course changes for DOT truck policy if the administration embraces recommendations made in The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.
Landfill operator Waste Management Holdings told federal regulators that certain truck driver requirements hinder its ability to respond to emergencies.
FMCSA has been called on to rein in spiraling towing rates that many claim lack proper oversight.
Owner-operators and crash victim advocates say easing restrictions for new drivers is a safety risk. Regulators approved an exemption despite those objections.
Regulators approved Convoy Technologies’ rearview exemption while contemplating a rule change allowing cameras to replace mirrors.
The nation’s trucking regulator has told Congress it lacks the ability to deal effectively with illegal brokers.
Data from regulators reveals improvements in truck safety last year, with the fewest deaths in five years.
The Biden administration is pushing back the schedules for a list of rules that are being watched closely by trucking.
Allegations of data suppression by committee members tasked with advising the federal government on truck crashes have gone unacknowledged by U.S. Department of Transportation officials.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s chief AI officer, Vinn White, has been tapped to oversee truck safety for the Biden administration.
A congressionally mandated report on CDL skills testing reveals states that are improving — or getting worse — on testing wait times for aspiring truck drivers.
In this edition: Breaking down the new FMCSA fee increase and a big freight payment partnership.
Trucking companies will see cost bumps in their UCR Plan fees of up to $9,000, depending on fleet size.
An anonymous federal survey on seat belt use by truck drivers follows recent fatality data showing many are not buckling up.
Federal trucking regulators want in-person comments on revisions to how carriers are rated on safety.
New legislation designed to crack down on fake companies that give legitimate brokers and carriers a bad name has bipartisan support.
Another large trucking company has asked federal regulators to relax its permitting rules to get drivers in seats faster.
The Justice Department’s move to loosen restrictions on pot has drawn a strong reaction from large trucking companies that fear recategorizing the drug could lead to more crashes.
Getting a commercial learner’s permit at 17 would give disadvantaged students a faster path to truck driver jobs, Connell High School in eastern Washington told regulators.
A requirement that motor carriers pass a written safety exam before being issued a DOT number will be delayed again as new drivers involved in fatal crashes are on the rise.
Federal regulators are taking the first steps to crack down on scams caused by hackers into the trucking industry’s government registration system.
Regulators plan to submit to the White House the outline for a new truck-registration system that is expected to be more transparent and easier to use.
Assertions that trucker wages will suffer unless CDL test-taking rules are relaxed in Florida did not sway trucking regulators.
Here are a few key takeaways from the Scopelitis Transportation Law seminar on the myriad of legal issues facing today’s trucking fleets.
TCA executive David Heller sees the trucking industry as having made the necessary adjustments to deal with the Baltimore harbor closure.
Regulators are weighing more options to help truckers deal with hours-of-service issues as congestion clogs highway arteries in the Northeast.
A proposed rule that could benefit team-driving operations in trucking would weaken highway safety, those opposing the plan told the FMCSA.
Federal regulators have updated Congress on an FMCSA pilot program to recruit teen drivers, and the results are bleak.
A waiver for truckers impacted by the collapse of the Key bridge in Baltimore and a preliminary timeline for repairs offer optimism.
Truck lease purchase deals did not get many positive reviews at a recent gathering of a federal task force studying the deals’ impact.
Regulations aimed at easing detention time burdens on truckers may need to take into account the Biden administration’s emissions policies, according to insurers.
Routes, service and driver safety could be at risk if federal regulators allow California and Washington state laws to supersede federal work laws, according to FedEx.
Federal safety regulators have advised owners of older anhydrous ammonia tanks to conduct pressure testing to avoid catastrophic failure.
A federal task force wants contract details from truck drivers to help expose and combat predatory lease practices in the trucking industry.
Transportation and manufacturing groups are warning federal regulators against using driver-assist data in developing a rule that could determine a trucking company’s ability to stay in business.
The nation’s top truck safety regulator wants towing companies that overcharge truckers to be held accountable by the FTC.
Federal regulators are responding to complaints that the government is not doing enough to protect women and minority truck drivers.
Federal regulators are proposing to ease requirements for new truck drivers — but crash victim advocates warn safety will be compromised.
The latest agenda from DOT delays rules on truck speeds and automated driving systems.
Nation’s top truck safety regulator, Robin Hutcheson, will step down Jan. 26, according to DOT.
FMCSA is providing a rare glimpse into documents it will consider in formulating a significant safety rule.
Relaxing CDL testing rules could get drivers on the road faster without risking safety, according to a training school group.
The National Transportation Institute (NTI) recently released Q4 2023 driver pay data that shows driver earnings continue to climb in spite of the freight market undergoing a correction. Drivers’ base mileage pay brackets saw a shift, with the 40-to-50-cents-per-mile pay bracket falling 5.2% year over year as fleets raised wages to attract and retain drivers. The 50-to-60-cents-per-mile bracket saw a 6.1% y/y increase.
After truck parking and broker transparency grabbed headlines in 2023, experts see independent contractor status and truck emissions as top issues next year.
FMCSA chief Robin Hutcheson was grilled by Republicans on the safety implications of a federal rule to effectively mandate truck speeds.
DOT’s latest regulatory agenda reveals regulators will be taking no action on a costly new safety equipment proposal for almost a year.
Trucking regulator reminds states of federal laws disqualifying convicted felons from having a CDL.
A government system that leaves most of the trucking industry without a safety rating needs an overhaul, carriers and brokers tell regulators.
The Teamsters and crash victim advocates say claims that parking shortages will be made worse by California’s and Washington’s rest break rules are unfounded.
A final rule issued by federal regulators aims to protect truckers from broker fraud.
A federal advisory panel promoting women in trucking weakened its stance on removing an exemption that currently allows carriers not to pay overtime to their drivers.
Improving road safety and public health is the goal of a new push to help teen drivers learn to share the road.
Truck drivers are pressing regulators to require brokers to pay them for time lost waiting to pick up or drop off loads.
FMCSA’s latest crash data is a hopeful sign for safety as trucking regulators consider new rules to reduce deaths and injuries.
Data reveals 2023 will be a record year — by far — for commercial carrier shutdowns ordered by the government for new carriers.
A new regulatory agenda sets dates for trucking sector rulemakings ranging from speed limiter mandates to automatic emergency braking.
GAO recommends FMCSA improve its website so that it is more useful for truck drivers seeking remedies for alleged coercion by employers.
Complaints about transparency and accuracy of safety data that affects the operations of truck drivers and carriers has caught the attention of federal regulators.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pressed the American Trucking Associations and tech companies over job and safety concerns associated with driverless trucks.
A new safety standard would change how FMCSA determines whether carriers and truckers are fit to operate.
Federal regulators will attempt once again to try to figure out the safety and cost effects of delaying truck drivers at shippers and receivers.
Federal regulators are cracking down on trucking-related exemption requests that fail to provide safety justifications.
Regulators are leveraging their power to once again weigh in on state laws affecting truck drivers.
A proposal requiring automatic braking on trucks needs more than a 60-day comment period, state agencies and brake manufacturers assert.
DOT’s inspector general recommends FMCSA take steps to clamp down on foreign carrier safety compliance.
Getting drivers on the road faster boosts productivity, says CRST, which was conditionally granted a CDL exemption renewal.
Federal rules on driver instructor background requirements are hampering carriers’ ability to staff trainers, according to companies.
Exempting former prison inmates from certain CDL training rules could not ensure that safety standards would be upheld, according to federal regulators.
The first meeting of FMCSA’s Truck Leasing Task Force has put lease-purchase agreements under more intense scrutiny.
NHTSA and FMCSA are proposing that all new trucks over 10,000 pounds be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems.
Hair testing finds significantly more opioid, cocaine and meth use by truck drivers versus testing for those drugs using urinalysis, a recently updated study finds.
Move by federal regulators to crack down on broker scofflaws gets mixed reviews from broker and carrier groups.
A 14-year-old petition filed by a truck safety group to strengthen new-entrant requirements has finally been greenlighted for public scrutiny.
FMCSA puts unfair burdens on truck drivers and carriers in accident reporting, the agency is told.
The latest federal data reveals that 64% of large-truck drivers killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts.
Regulators explain the rationale behind an upcoming rulemaking for third-party CDL knowledge testers versus issuing a permanent waiver.
A truck broker lobby plans to regroup after losing momentum for a bill requiring interim standards for brokers.
A bill seeking to simplify eligibility for truck driver apprenticeships is part of a legislative package addressing supply chain shortfalls.
Opposition is growing against a bill that would prevent the FMCSA from issuing a regulation mandating maximum speeds for trucks.
Truckers, brokers and fuel retailers told Congress where they believe regulators are overstepping their authority — and where they need to step in.
A report to Congress shows that truck safety may have gotten worse since regulators loosened hours-of-service rules in 2020.
Oklahoma Congressman Josh Brecheen calls FMCSA’s speed limiter proposal an “overreach” and introduces legislation aimed at heading it off.
Trucking industry representatives and others have been tasked with evaluating unfair leasing practices by carriers against owner-operators.
Carriers and drivers will not be able to take advantage of a new drug testing rule due to a lack of certified testing facilities.
Federal regulators have told Congress that assessing the safety impacts of ELDs has become a challenge.
Propane haulers were unable to convince federal officials that a work-rule exemption could be provided without boosting crash risks.
Crash data for carriers entering the industry before the pandemic suggests a gradual deterioration in safety, according to a sample of federal data.
Truck safety advocates and labor are at odds with big business over a request to loosen regulations for driverless trucks.
The White House is reviewing a proposal setting mandatory hair-test guidelines that would be used to screen truck drivers for illegal drugs.
The NTSB found that an exemption allowing drivers potentially to use “unlimited” work hours was partially to blame for a 2021 truck crash that killed four people.
Trucking’s top safety enforcer is considering changes to work rule recording devices with the goal of making them easier to use.
