FMCSA scraps outdated trucking rules to cut red tape without compromising safety

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is pushing ahead with a deregulatory push to strip more than 1,800 words from federal trucking regulations, aiming to slash compliance costs and paperwork without touching safety standards. The agency estimates the move could save the motor carrier industry millions annually while wiping out nearly 25,000 unnecessary violations logged in 2024 alone. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs framed the effort as long-overdue support for truckers, stating, “I’ve spent my life looking out for the folks on our highways, and I’m telling you, these drivers are the heartbeat of this country. This administration is finally giving our truckers the support they’ve earned to get the job done and get home safe to their families.” In February 2025, FMCSA proposed the rule “Ensuring Lawful Regulation; Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,” inviting nearly 1,000 public comments as it overhauled outdated regulations, guidance, and paperwork to ensure Department of Transportation actions align with national interests while still meeting statutory safety obligations. This year, FMCSA finalized a series of deregulatory changes effective March 23 that eliminate burdens without compromising safety. Key updates include: removing the requirement for rear impact guards to carry permanent manufacturer certification labels, which often became illegible or wore off during service; creating an exception for pre-2010 portable conveyors in the aggregate industry, lifting a mandate for brakes on all wheels under certain conditions; allowing auxiliary fuel tanks of 5 gallons or less mounted on trailers to bypass the ban on gravity and siphon feeds when the vehicle is stationary; exempting truck tractors towing trailers from rear license plate lamp retrofitting rules; eliminating references to obsolete liquid-burning flares in emergency equipment requirements; scrapping a 1973-era rule requiring fuel tanks to prevent overfilling beyond 95% capacity; and removing outdated “water carriers” references tied to hotel passenger transport that fall outside FMCSA’s regulatory scope.