DOT Pitches Pro-Trucking Policy Changes

The Transportation Department is planning a host of changes meant to benefit truckers, ranging from tackling double brokering to eliminating speed limiters.

In a June 27 release, Transportation Secretary Duffy announced four major initiatives, such as updating the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) online databases, expanded truck parking, removing a speed limiters proposal and cracking down on double brokering.

“Truckers keep America running,” Duffy stated. “While the country sleeps, truckers grind through the night to help keep shelves stocked, families fed, and businesses humming. It’s a job that requires grit and dedication.”

In support, he announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is “set to deliver more than $275 million in grant funding to expand parking access for truck drivers nationwide.” An estimated $180 million of that will go to adding more than 900 truck parking spaces along the I-4 corridor in Florida, according to the release.

The release also covers DOT’s withdrawal of a proposed rule mandating speed limiters on certain classes of trucks. “Mandating speed limiters on heavy-duty trucks isn’t just an inconvenience — it is a safety hazard when drivers are forced to go slower than the flow of traffic,” the release stated.

Another goal is the release of updated digital assets for FMCSA’s website “that are more user-friendly, modernizing the Consumer Complaint database, and updating the DataQ system so it is more transparent.” The release contends that FMCSA’s current tools are “outdated and a pain to use.”

Lastly, Duffy pledged to focus more attention on “unlawful double brokering — a practice that directly harms drivers.” This is part of a larger effort focused on regulations, though most of it concerns cutting, rather than updating, regulations. The release stated that FMCSA plans to remove 1,800 words from federal regulations to save truckers time and money.