In January 2025, the Trump Administration will take office, and it is anticipated that President-Elect Donald J. Trump's second term will lead to significant regulatory changes generally. In his first term, President Trump imposed what was called a "two for one" rule: eliminating two regulations for each new regulation introduced. During his campaign, President-Elect Trump pledged to eliminate 10 old regulations for every new one introduced.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) oversees safety regulations for the trucking industry and will likely see a slowdown in new regulations. In 2016, the Trump Administration inherited an electronic logging device (ELD) rule that had been years in the making and finalized but had not yet become effective. This rule was disliked by many independent and owner-operator drivers and the trade groups that represent them. There was a question at the time as to whether his administration would pause or reverse the rule, but it did not. However, his administration did not implement many other new rules, and the most notable FMCSA regulatory changes that occurred during the Trump Administration gave drivers more flexibility, allowing them to drive a further distance without being required to utilize ELDs, and adding flexibility for driving after a work shift had ended and finding a place to park.
Heading into the second Trump Administration, there is no major rulemaking pending as there was the first time. Perhaps the most notable rule is a speed limiter rule, which was delayed during the first Trump term. It has continued to linger, and in 2022, the FMCSA revived the speed limiter rulemaking but has repeatedly delayed publication of the proposed rule. Industry has had mixed and changing opinions on the rule, and many large carriers place speed limiters on their vehicles for safety and fuel efficiency even without a regulatory requirement to do so.
The DOT's latest agenda released by the White House Office of Management and Budget indicates that a number of FMCSA rulemakings have been pushed back to 2025, and there are more than 20 rules in various stages. With the Trump Administration's deregulatory stance, many pending regulations may be delayed, revised or repealed.
That doesn't mean there won't be any changes at the agency. The FMCSA does plan to change the way its registration system works in 2025, and eliminate the use of MC numbers, and rely only on USDOT numbers. As such, the mechanics of interacting with the FMCSA may change. However, it is not expected that existing regulations will be substantially revised. As such, the next four years may be a relatively quiet time on the regulatory front for the FMCSA.
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