Regulation
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced a partnership with Quarterhill to invest $6.4 million in adding 15 weigh-in-motion stations across multiple interstate highways and state routes, and to deploy a commercial vehicle compliance software platform, aiming to improve road safety and enhance freight data collection capabilities.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issued a statement saying that despite an Alameda Superior Court ruling on March 2 allowing affected drivers to immediately apply for new licenses, the FMCSA's mandatory 'suspension' still prevents the state from issuing non-resident commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), causing applications from approximately 13,000 drivers to be delayed for up to one year.
FMCSA issued a final rule on February 19, eliminating the requirement that certification labels for trailer rear impact guards be permanently retained. The new rule takes effect on March 23, responding to long-standing industry concerns about label wear and difficulty in reading, but it does not overturn the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's requirement for manufacturers to meet safety standards at the time of production.
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released its 2026 annual report on the top 100 truck bottlenecks in the U.S., with the I-294 and I-290/I-88 interchange in Chicago's western suburbs ranking first for the first time. This interchange handles over 300,000 vehicles daily and is currently in the midst of a six-year, $800 million reconstruction project, slated for completion by the end of 2027. The report also shows that the average speed of trucks during peak hours nationwide decreased by 2.8% compared to the previous year, and traffic congestion adds $109 billion annually to consumer goods costs.
The U.S. Department of Labor plans to rescind the Biden-era 2024 independent contractor rule and re-adopt the 'economic reality test' to determine worker status, a move supported by trucking associations but sparking debate over workers' rights.