🚨 SAFETY LANE NEWS REPORT 🚨DOT Calls for Public Input on Regulations to Remove or Modify, Following Executive Orders from President Trump

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a formal Request for Information (RFI) calling on the public—especially transportation stakeholders, industry professionals, and small business operators—to help identify regulations, guidance documents, and reporting requirements that could be modified or repealed in pursuit of regulatory streamlining.

This initiative follows multiple executive orders issued by President Donald J. Trump under his new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative, aimed at eliminating government overreach, cutting compliance costs, and enhancing federal accountability.

⚖️ What’s Driving This?

Trump’s new executive orders mandate a massive regulatory rollback, expanding on the 2017 “2-for-1” rule. Agencies are now required to:

• Identify and repeal at least 10 existing regulations for every new one proposed (unless prohibited by law).

• Ensure net regulatory costs are significantly below zero for the 2025 fiscal year.

• Offset any new regulatory cost by eliminating costs from at least 10 existing rules.

The DOT’s RFI, published in the Federal Register, states it is seeking input to ensure its regulations do not "undermine the national interest" and instead promote safety, efficiency, and innovation while reducing unnecessary burdens.

🧾 What Is the DOT Looking For?

DOT is asking for public comments on seven categories of problematic regulations:

1. Unconstitutional or legally questionable rules.

2. Regulations based on unlawful delegation of authority.

3. Rules built on faulty statutory interpretation.

4. Policies that lack clear legal backing and affect major societal issues.

5. Rules imposing significant private-sector costs without justifiable benefits.

6. Rules that hinder the national interest, including technology, infrastructure, and economic growth.

7. Regulations that burden small businesses or block entrepreneurship.

In addition, DOT is especially interested in identifying:

• Obsolete, unnecessary, or unjustified rules

• Requirements that are outdated, duplicative, or no longer sensible

• Suggestions for repeal, replacement, or modification

Commenters are encouraged to submit specific examples, cost data, and detailed reasoning behind their recommendations.

📥 How to Submit Comments

Public feedback is requested by May 5, 2025, and can be submitted in two ways:

• Online: Federal eRulemaking Portal

• Email: Transportation.RegulatoryInfo@dot.gov (include "Regulatory Reform RFI" in the subject)

🚛 Why It Matters for Trucking

Truckers, motor carriers, and freight companies have long voiced frustrations over overregulation, inefficient mandates, and compliance costs that don’t translate into safer roads. During Trump’s first term, the FMCSA and the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) already targeted ineffective rules like:

• The 1-5 a.m. restart requirement under HOS (suspended by Congress)

• The mandatory filing of no-defect DVIRs

This new phase—requiring ten repeals for every new rule—dramatically expands the deregulatory scope.

According to recent Overdrive polling, truckers hope this process will address:

• ELD burdens

• Truck parking shortages

• Issues with visa/work permits for immigrant drivers

🚨 Industry Engagement Is Key

DOT is emphasizing community input—from drivers to safety managers and fleet owners. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of transportation policy, remove harmful red tape, and reclaim regulatory common sense—without compromising safety.

If you’ve ever said, “This rule makes no sense”, now is the time to back that up with action.

🔗 Stay tuned to Safety Lane for updates on regulatory reform efforts, FMCSA developments, and how your feedback is shaping the road ahead.

📝 Got a rule you think should be gone? Tell us—we'll make sure your voice is heard.

Stay informed. Stay compliant. Stay ahead. Safety Lane Magazine & CellEx Consulting Group – Your Trusted Source for Industry Compliance & Safety