In an unprecedented move, the DOT recently announced that it will rescind, withdraw or amend burdensome regulations that do not enhance safety. The DOT has proposed slashing or amending about two dozen federal trucking regulations – many of them relatively minor – but others thought to be outdated or imposing a hardship on truckers.
“My department is slashing duplicative and outdated regulations that are unnecessarily burdensome, waste taxpayer dollars, and fail to ensure safety,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a May 29 announcement. “These are common sense changes that will help us build a more efficient government that better reflects the needs of the American people, because big government has been a big failure.”
The proposal includes rescinding the requirement that a truck’s rear-impact guard be permanently marked or labeled with a certification from the impact-guard manufacturer and removing a regulation requiring CDL holders to self-report motor vehicle violations to their state of domicile. Some other regulations deemed worthy of extinction in an effort dubbed “unleashing prosperity through deregulation” in part include:
1) Providing an exception from lamp and reflective device requirements for license plate lamps on the rear of truck tractors while towing a trailer.
2) Revising the requirements for tires on commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to clarify that FMCSA regulations no longer will require load restriction markings on the sidewalls.
3) Removing obsolete requirements like Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 207 regarding seating systems, FMVSS No. 214 regarding side impact protection, FMVSS No. 210, regarding seat belt assembly anchorage, and FMVSS No. 216, related to roof crush resistance.
4) No longer requiring reflective sheeting on semi-trailers and trailers because the vast majority of trailers on the nation’s highways already use it.
5) Rescinding the in-vehicle electronic logging device operator’s manual requirement for CMVs to maintain a list of the ELD vendors who have self-certified their products.
6) Revising the requirement that carriers and intermodal equipment providers sign and return a completed roadside inspection form to the issuing state agency.
7) Amending the definition of the term “medical treatment” for the purpose of accident reporting to incorporate revised regulatory guidance issued by FMCSA regarding medical treatment away from the accident scene.
While many of the revisions may seem minor, DOT said that in total, the deregulatory package will rescind, withdraw or amend burdensome regulations that do not enhance safety. Furthermore, these actions will also help to streamline the Code of Federal Regulations by deleting more than 73,000 words from the Federal Register, DOT said.
A few months back, President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating that commercial drivers in the U.S. be proficient in speaking and reading English and directs the federal government to closely monitor CDLs issued by states to individuals who do not reside in the United States. That order also directed Duffy to undo an Obama-era English proficiency policy, outlined in a 2016 memo, which paused regulations mandating that drivers during roadside inspections be placed out of service if they were not fluent in reading and understanding English.
Building on the presidential executive orders regarding streamlining regulations, the DOT has been reaching out to truckers, trade organizations and small businesses for ideas on how to “ensure lawful regulations, reduce regulations and control regulatory costs.” Trump’s executive orders since he took office in January (2025) have set goals for agencies to cut regulations where possible. For example, Trump’s January 31 executive order requires agencies to identify at least 10 existing regulations for repeal when proposing a new regulation. This “10 for 1” trade goes well beyond the “2 for 1” order issued during the first Trump administration.
On a sad note, this will be Wayne’s final “Wayne’s World” monthly column, as he passed away suddenly in July 2025. In fitting fashion, Wayne’s first installment of Wayne’s World (not called that at the time) appeared in the August 1994 edition and was called “Cutting the Red Tape” – it was the start of a three part series about the new drug and alcohol rules, and it became the beginning of it all. And now, over 31 years later, we end the Wayne’s World column on an article about Trump and the DOT “cutting the red tape” in trucking. A fitting end.
Next month, we will be printing a full obituary for our friend, advertiser, contributor and charity show sponsor and supporter, Wayne Schooling. Thank you, Wayne, for all the great years and for educating our readers in your unique way. We will miss you dearly.