Each year, the U.S. Department of Transportation lays out its plans through the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The newly announced Agency Rule List points to a busy slate of pending FMCSA and NHTSA actions—most still in the proposed-rule stage—with several NPRMs or final actions projected over the next several months. For trucking, the agenda is less a single policy shift than a roadmap of where compliance expectations, equipment planning, driver qualification, carrier entry, data systems, broker practices, and paperwork reduction may be headed.
Vehicle Technology and Automation
The headline equipment issue remains the joint FMCSA–NHTSA Automatic Emergency Braking supplemental proposal. The agencies are still pursuing a requirement for factory-installed AEB and electronic stability control on new Class 7 and 8 trucks, with medium-duty vehicles following later. NHTSA has estimated that heavy vehicles equipped with AEB ESC will prevent 19,118 crashes, save 155 lives, and prevent 8,814 injuries annually. Related NHTSA items would modernize FMVSS No. 102 for ADS-equipped vehicles without traditional manual controls, and continue analyzing comments on the 2023 side underride guard advance notice of proposed rulemaking.
FMCSA’s Safe Integration of ADS-Equipped CMVs rulemaking is a key strategic item for the administration and industry. With an NPRM slated for August 2026, it would amend the FMCSRs to set operational safety requirements for autonomous CMVs in interstate commerce. However, given the connection to NHTSA’s FMVSS modernization work, this could move more slowly due to the transformational nature of these rules and the likelihood of many comments submitted to the Docket. Nevertheless, it remains one of the highest-stakes issues on the agenda because it will shape how the federal rules will treat automated trucks in real-world interstate operations.
Drivers and Workforce
The English Language Proficiency, Out of Service Criteria rulemaking would codify ELP non-compliance under 49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2) as an out-of-service violation, moving beyond the current enforcement-policy approach and implementing Congress’s direction in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. FMCSA also added Entry-Level Driver Training to the agenda, with a proposal intended to strengthen standards for Training Provider Registry listing after the agency identified non-compliance among certain providers. The National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners proposal would create an administrative removal process for examiners who fail continued-listing requirements, while the CDLIS Fees proposal would allow AAMVA to collect user fees from state licensing agencies for access to its Commercial Driver License Information System.
Carrier Entry, ELDs, and Safety Data
FMCSA is also revisiting how carriers enter the industry. The New Entrant Safety Assurance rulemaking would tighten the process by which an applicant carrier earns operating authority, including consideration of a proficiency examination before interstate authority is granted. The practical goal is to raise the bar at entry rather than relying only on the initial 18-month monitoring period and safety audit to identify gaps after a carrier is already operating.
The ELD Revisions rulemaking would reopen the ELD mandate to streamline regulatory text, update device specifications, and make technical fixes aimed at improving usability. FMCSA also plans an NPRM revising how carriers’ safety fitness is assessed, building on the pending CSA/Safety Measurement System overhaul that groups hundreds of violation types into a smaller set of categories.
Brokers
Two broker rulemakings deserve close attention. The long-awaited Transparency in Property Broker Transactions proposal would clarify when and how brokers must provide transaction records to transacting parties upon request. Separately, the new Standards for Broker and Freight Forwarder Qualifications/Knowledge rulemaking would implement MAP-21 requirements that require brokers and freight forwarders to employ an officer with either 3 years of relevant experience or satisfactory evidence of knowledge of applicable rules, regulations, and industry practices.
The Deregulatory Side
The agenda also reflects a sustained deregulatory push. Under the President’s Executive Order 14192 and DOT’s regulatory-budget framework, the administration is pursuing broad regulatory and cost reductions, and trucking was specifically included in Secretary Duffy’s May 2025 package of deregulatory actions across FHWA, NHTSA, and FMCSA. Some items have already been finalized, including rescission of the in-cab ELD operator’s manual requirement, removal of the CDL self-reporting requirement, and a change allowing carriers to return completed roadside inspection forms only to states that request them. Fleets should still watch for additional proposals aimed at trimming paperwork and procedural requirements that the agency views as creating unnecessary violations without a corresponding safety benefit.
The Bottom Line
The agenda gives fleets an early look at where compliance pressure and operational planning may converge. AEB could reshape capital decisions, maintenance expectations, and inspections. FMCSA enforcement rules and initiatives like updates to driver-qualification rules (including ELP out-of-service treatment and the recently finalized non-domiciled CDL integrity rules), ELDT oversight, and medical-examiner accountability will tighten who can enter and remain in the driver pool. New Entrant changes raise the bar for carriers, while broker transparency and qualification rules reshape the middle of the freight transaction. ELD revisions, safety-fitness changes, and ADS requirements may not all move at the same pace, but each has practical implications. The takeaway is simple: read the agenda early, weigh in during comment periods, and build compliance into the budget before enforcement arrives.
