Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation asked the public to help identify regulations worthy of the chopping block.
It should come as no surprise that truck drivers wasted no time pointing out federal regulations they believe are overly burdensome while providing little to no safety benefit. Only a couple of days into the comment period, more than 100 truckers had given their two cents.
Several drivers cited the lack of flexibility in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service regulations.
“If you are driving 11 hours a day and taking a 30-minute break within the first eight hours and working a total of 14 for the day, there is no need to have the 70-hour rule,” Stacey Dain wrote. “As a driver, I get plenty of rest following the other three rules, not being overworked.”
Many of the comments noted that every driver is different and that the goal should be allowing drivers to rest when they’re tired and to drive when it is safe to operate. Regulations with strict rules regarding the times drivers can’t operate can force them to feel like they must operate during the allotted window, whether the conditions are safe or not.
“Most drivers wanted a choice to take a (30-minute) break – not mandatory,” Donna Dawes wrote.
Joe Potratz said that the electronic logging mandate, which was mandated by Congress, has exacerbated the lack of flexibility in the hours of service.
“We are not robots,” Potratz wrote. “Every driver is different, and every job is different. The ELD forces drivers to drive when they are tired and try to sleep when they are not tired. That clock is always ticking once it starts for the day, and drivers make bad decisions under the stress and pressure the ELD creates. It creates a dangerous environment on the road.”
Deregulatory efforts
President Donald Trump has pushed for reduced regulation across all industries. On Thursday, April 3, the DOT published a notice seeking public feedback regarding regulations that could be modified or repealed without hindering safety.
“The Department of Transportation seeks comments and information to assist DOT in identifying existing regulations, guidance, paperwork requirements and other regulatory obligations that can be modified or repealed, consistent with law, to ensure that DOT administrative actions do not undermine the national interest and that DOT achieves meaningful burden reduction while continuing to meet statutory obligations and ensure the safety of the U.S. transportation system,” the notice stated.
In January, Trump issued an executive order requiring that at least 10 regulations be identified for elimination before a new regulation is issued.
“Ending federal overreach and restoring the constitutional separation of powers is a priority of my administration,” Trump wrote in another deregulatory executive order issued in February.
Regulations created by government agencies and not mandated by Congress are the most likely targets of the Trump administration’s deregulatory mission.
How to comment
Comments can be made through May 5 by going to Regulations.gov and entering Docket No. DOT-OST-2025-0026-0001.
In addition to the comment period, the DOT will accept emails on a continuing basis at [email protected] about regulations that could be modified or repealed. Include “Regulatory Reform RFI” in the subject line of the email. LL
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