Freight industry: Which regulations should DOT cut?

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving freight carriers, trade groups, small businesses and others a direct line to the Trump administration to explain what regulations should be revised or taken off the books.

“Consistent with DOT’s commitment to public participation in the rulemaking process, DOT is beginning this process by soliciting views from the public on how best to conduct its analysis of existing DOT regulations, guidance, or reporting requirements,” the department stated in a request for information (RFI) posted on Wednesday.

“It is also seeking views from the public on specific regulations, guidance, or reporting requirements or DOT-imposed obligations that should be altered or eliminated.”

The RFI is a follow-up to executive orders issued by President Donald Trump within the first month of his second administration aiming to reduce regulations he considers to be burdens on Americans. That includes Executive Order 14219, “Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Deregulatory Agenda,” issued on Feb. 19.

In an apparent effort to cast as wide a net as possible, DOT created a separate email inbox for public responses – Transportation.RegulatoryInfo@dot.gov – in addition to the customary regulatory comment portal https://regulations.gov, beginning on Thursday in docket DOT-OST-2025-0026.

Those wishing to comment on the RFI have until May 3, but the inbox can be used “to identify to DOT – on a continuing basis – existing regulations, guidance, reporting requirements, and other regulatory obligations that they believe can be modified or repealed,” DOT stated. Comments received via email by May 3 will also be placed in the RFI docket.

“Together, these steps will help DOT ensure it acts in a lawful, prudent, and financially responsible manner in the expenditure of funds, from both public and private sources, and manages appropriately the costs associated with private expenditures required for compliance with DOT regulations,” according to the department.

Cost data welcomed

DOT is encouraging the public to back suggestions with economic data showing what it costs to comply with current regulations, as well as money saved if those regulations were revised or eliminated.

The RFI includes a “non-exhaustive list” of 12 questions that are not intended to restrict issues that can be addressed. Some of those questions include:

• Are there any regulations or guidance commenters can identify that fall within the seven categories outlined in Executive Order 14219?
• Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that simply make no sense or have become unnecessary, ineffective or ill-advised?
• Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that have become outdated and, if so, how can they be modernized to better accomplish their objectives?
• Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements that are still necessary but have not operated as well as expected such that a modified approach at lower cost is justified?
• Does DOT currently collect information that it does not need or that it uses ineffectively?
• Are there regulations, guidance or reporting requirements or regulatory processes that are needlessly complex or could be streamlined to meet statutory obligations more efficiently?
• Can new technologies be leveraged to modify, streamline or rescind existing regulations, guidance or reporting requirements?

Another chance for truckers

For the trucking industry, the action by the Trump administration is the second opportunity in less than a year to provide regulators feedback on eliminating what the industry considers to be burdensome oversight.

In August, President Joe Biden’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sought input from motor carriers on whether guidance documents issued by the agency should be updated or dropped altogether.

FMCSA’s regulatory guidance portal contains roughly 1,300 documents dating from 1987, dealing with issues such as hours of service, electronic logging device operations and specifications, the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, emergency declarations, and sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.

Since taking control of the White House, the Trump administration has heard from the trucking industry – small-business owner-operators in particular – on potential reforms to ELDs, hours-of-service restrictions and broker contracting.

In addition, pending rulemakings on speed limiters, automatic emergency brakes and side underride guards have been delayed or await further action.

Related articles:

• Can FMCSA improve ELD regulations?
• FMCSA delays speed limiter rule to May 2025
• House panel debates ELD certification, truck weight limits
• Truck safety advocates say DOT inaction costing lives 

Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher.

The post Freight industry: Which regulations should DOT cut? appeared first on FreightWaves.