Trucking regulation overhauls of note

The trucking industry has gone through some turbulent times of late, with driver shortages and other issues making life difficult for professionals in the industry and their employers. While the sector continues to grow and overcome many of the challenges - even those that seem particularly difficult - regulations and forthcoming legislation are further complicating things in some areas, while alleviating some of the strain in others. 

Let's take a look at some of the more important legislative changes that have taken place, or are pending, that could impact both trucking companies and their drivers. 

Agricultural pitfalls
Growing Produce recently reported that some agricultural companies are worried the electronic logging device mandate, which is set to go into effect on June 18, is going to complicate matters further. Already faced with severe trucker shortages, the farming industry has been in a bind given the fact that their products do not tend to have very long shelf lives. If they do not make it to a store on time, the farmers suffer. 

This already problematic issue led industry groups, such as the National Potato Council, to petition for some form of amendment to the bill, or at least an extension to allow more time for the logistics to be sorted out, Growing Produce noted. While the agricultural community does enjoy some exemptions from the rule, it might not be enough to offset the driver shortages, giving cause for action.

A sign of relief
These efforts have not been entirely unfruitful, though, as the Trump administration has already taken steps to reduce some of the regulatory blocks facing both drivers and trucking companies, Transport Topics News explained. This is not to say that the executive branch is completely abolishing the rules, but rather that it is weakening them in hopes of assuaging the issues various industries are facing. 

According to the publication, a panel of attorneys spoke about this matter, and generally believe that the government will work to find ways to penalize companies that are putting drivers into unsafe scenarios without blanketing the entire industry with regulatory red tape.

"A lot of the hostility toward ELDs really is about the hours of service," American Trucking Association deputy general counsel Richard Pianka told Trucking Topics News. "As a result of all the hostility, there is some appetite in Congress and the [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] to take some of the pressure off by adding some additional flexibility to hours-of-service rules."

At the end of the day, the only true solution to the shortage is going to be the development of more attractive programs that get drivers onto the roads. Because this is such a widespread problem that impacts a range of industries and economic matters, trucking professionals can expect more beneficial changes to come, as well as a solid outlook of available work, for the foreseeable future. That, in turn, should help more drivers and employers find success even in the ever-shifting regulatory environment.