Whatever the political headlines of the day, federal agencies continue to add new trucking regulations, adopt new forms, and extend or discontinue previous waivers and exemptions. In this series, “Trucking Things to Know Now,” PrePass provides quick updates on regulatory developments, often with links to more information.

Not Quite Full Speed Ahead? FMCSA Takes Another Step Toward Speed Limiters

The U.S. Transportation Department’s (DOT) recently updated its Significant Rulemaking Report. Some parties quickly pronounced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) appeared to settle on a maximum 68 mph for truck speed limiters, applicable to model year 2003 and newer trucks equipped with electronic engine control units (ECUs). FMCSA responded that any decisions must await completion of the rulemaking process. The next step to that end would be a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking targeted for publication on Dec. 29, 2023.

Previous PrePass blogs pointed out that there are many speed limiter issues to be decided, in addition to a top speed. See: What Could a U.S. Truck Speed Limiter Mandate Look Like?

Broker/Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility – The Final Rule

The DOT Report also shows that FMCSA will issue its final rule on broker and freight forwarder financial responsibility on March 29, 2024. The timeline proposed in that Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would give brokers, freight forwarders, and their financial backers three years to make the changes required.

Automatic Emergency Braking – The Final Rule

FMCSA will issue its final rule on automatic emergency braking (AEB) on April 30, 2024. This rule was a joint undertaking with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and will require and standardize equipment performance for AEB on heavy trucks.

Transparency in Property Broker Transactions

FMCSA said it will respond to petitions from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the Small Business in Transportation Coalition by publishing a NPRM on Oct. 31, 2024. The petitions addressed broker contract provisions which would waive a carrier’s right to review the record of transactions. OOIDA specifically requested FMCSA to require brokers to automatically provide a copy of each transaction record within 48 hours of the service completion.

Read previous installments of “Trucking Things to Know Now: Federal Regulatory Updates.”

The PrePass blog and podcasts are published as a public service of PrePass®, the most reliable and technologically advanced weigh station bypass and integrated electronic trucking toll payment platform in North America. PrePass also includes INFORM™ Safety and INFORM™ Tolling software for improving truck safety scores and lowering toll costs.