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The latest version of the Unified Regulatory Agenda has been released, and there are plenty of rulemakings with implications for the trucking industry.
The agenda reveals the latest on what the Trump administration has planned for potential trucking regs regarding independent contractor status, broker transparency, automatic emergency brakes and electronic logging devices.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule aimed at determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Although the final rule took effect in March 2024, it is facing several legal challengessometime this month.
Worker classification has been a hot-button issue in the trucking industry as states such as California have implemented laws that make it more difficult to be considered an independent contractorModern Worker Empowerment ActBroker transparency
Truckers who have been waiting for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to implement strengthened broker transparency regulations will likely be waiting for a while longer.
Instead of moving forward with a final rule, indicated that the agency plans to issue a second notice of proposed rulemaking in May 2026. Although it is unclear what the updated notice will propose, the timeline means that it could be 2027 or later before a final rule takes effect.
The lack of broker transparency in the trucking industry has been a longstanding issue, but it entered the national spotlight when truck drivers protested in Washington, D.C., in May 2020. Around that same time, OOIDA petitioned the agency to strengthen existing broker transparency rules.
Regulation 371.3Automatic emergency brakesFMCSA plans to go back to the drawing board and issue a second notice of proposed rulemaking in December.
Many truck drivers are opposed to a mandateELDs
In 2022, FMCSA issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that considered revisions to existing regulations for electronic logging devices.
The regulatory agenda indicates the agency plans to unveil a formal proposal in May 2026MARK SCHREMMER?