Expert Insights on DOT Compliance
In-depth analysis, regulatory updates, and practical compliance guidance from transportation attorneys and industry experts.
FMCSA's 2026 Regulatory Agenda: Everything Trucking Companies Need to Know
FMCSA has released its 2026 regulatory agenda, covering dozens of rulemakings that will affect driver qualification, ELDs, drug testing, automated vehicles, safety fitness ratings, and more. Here's what every fleet needs to know.
Brandon Wiseman
FMCSA Finalizes More Deregulatory Rules
FMCSA has finalized three new deregulatory rules effective July 22, 2026, removing the CDL self-reporting requirement, the in-cab ELD manual requirement, and revising the roadside inspection report return process. Here is what fleets need to know and do.
Brandon Wiseman
eRegs v2 Is Here: A Complete Rebuild of the FMCSR Compliance Platform
eRegs v2, Trucksafe's affiliate FMCSR compliance platform, has launched a complete rebuild featuring a redesigned three-panel reader, full-text search, version history with change tracking, hazmat regulations, and a new Progressive Web App replacing the old native apps.
Brandon Wiseman
FMCSA Issues Final Rule on Non-Domiciled CDLs
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a new final rule on non-domiciled Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs) and Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). Scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on February 13, 2026 (Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0622, RIN 2126-AC98), this rule largely reaffirms the provisions of the September 29, 2025, Interim Final Rule (IFR) with minor clarifications, despite intense legal scrutiny, a court-imposed stay, and thousands of public commen
Brandon Wiseman
Top 10 Regulatory Developments Fleets Should Understand Heading Into 2026
If 2024 hinted at regulatory turbulence, 2025 made it impossible to ignore. Over the past year, FMCSA and USDOT unleashed the most aggressive series of compliance initiatives in more than a decade—targeting language proficiency, non-domiciled CDL issuance, electronic logging devices, medical certification, training quality, and core data systems. These moves were not isolated events; collectively, they signaled a larger shift toward enforcement-first policymaking and heightened scrutiny on found
Brandon Wiseman
Federal Court temporarily halts FMCSA’s non-domiciled CDL rule
In a major development with nationwide implications for motor carriers, foreign drivers, and state licensing agencies, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has temporarily stayed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) controversial interim final rule (IFR) restricting the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The court’s November 10, 2025 order halts the rule pending further judicial review, creating further uncertainty for the industry. Judg
Brandon Wiseman
FMCSA Proposes Pilot Programs for Hours of Service Flexibility
As announced previously by USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy as part of the agency's Pro-Trucker Initiatives, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving ahead with two new pilot programs. Sheduled for publication in the Federal Register on September 17, 2025, FMCSA is proposing two pilot programs aimed to address longstanding challenges faced by property-carrying truck drivers: unreasonable detention times at shippers and receivers, traffic congestion, and the rigid constraints of curren
Brandon Wiseman
FMCSA and NHTSA Move to Officially Withdraw Speed Limiter Mandate for Heavy Trucks
As announced by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy earlier this month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have announced the withdrawal of their long-standing proposal to mandate speed limiters on heavy commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). This decision, detailed in Federal Register notice 2025-13928 to be published on July 24, 2025, ends years of debate over requiring electronic speed governors on trucks with a
Brandon Wiseman
Compliance Myth: "Not for hire" means not regulated
One of the more common misunderstandings in the trucking industry is the belief that displaying “Not for Hire” on a truck somehow exempts it from federal or state motor carrier safety regulations. This myth has led many private carriers—those that transport their own goods rather than hauling freight for others—to operate under the false assumption they are not subject to regulatory oversight. The truth, however, is that the applicability of the vast majority of FMCSA and related state regulatio
Brandon WisemanNever Miss an Update
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