FMCSA rulemaking paused until spring
Former Representative from Wisconsin, Sean Duffy, was nominated to be the Secretary of Transportation. As he assembles his leadership team (including the yet to be nominated FMCSA administrator), the freight transportation industry will anticipate a pause in rulemaking from FMCSA until late spring or early summer. The widely discussed potential rulemaking around speed limiters may be indefinitely paused.
In the Trump administration, the policy-making process is often very public. Keep in mind that trade policy ideas such as increased tariffs eventually need to turn into draft rules or executive orders, as such the earliest tariffs could be implemented is mid-March 2025.
Additionally, FMCSA continues to make progress toward modernizing their registration system for motor carriers and brokers with goals to improve safety and reduce fraud in the industry. There aren’t any major delays expected in this process as the administration changes.