USDOT Highlights New Trucking Policies After One Year of Action

One Year After Executive Order, USDOT Highlights Trucking Policy Changes

One year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order focused on commercial trucking rules, the USDOT and the FMCSA are outlining a series of actions they say were taken to change enforcement, licensing, and driver support programs across the trucking industry.

According to the agency, the changes are intended to strengthen safety oversight, tighten CDL standards, and expand support for truck drivers. Some of these actions have already been put in place, while others remain proposals or pilot programs that the agency hopes may improve trucking operations in the years ahead.

English Language Enforcement Returns to the Trucking Forefront

One of the biggest changes involves English Language Proficiency (ELP) enforcement for commercial drivers.

In May 2025, USDOT issued new guidance aimed at restoring stricter enforcement for commercial drivers. The following month, ELP requirements were officially reinstated as an active enforcement priority, according to the agency.

FMCSA also says it is moving toward English-only testing standards for drivers. The agency argues that these measures may help ensure drivers can read road signs and communicate clearly during roadside inspections or emergencies. Whether those changes lead to measurable safety gains will likely be watched closely by carriers, regulators, and industry groups.

The agency also reported that more than 20,000 truck drivers have been placed out of service since June 2025 for failing to meet what FMCSA describes as basic compliance standards.

Non-Domiciled CDL Oversight Expanded

FMCSA also says it has focused heavily on non-domiciled CDLs, which are issued to qualified individuals who are not permanent U.S. residents but are legally authorized to work in the country.

In June 2025, FMCSA launched a nationwide audit reviewing how states issue these licenses. According to the agency, more than 30 states were identified as issuing non-compliant non-domiciled CDLs, with formal enforcement actions sent to 26 states.

FMCSA says this effort led to more than 28,000 licenses being revoked nationwide.

The agency also withheld federal transportation funding from certain states over enforcement disputes. That included $160 million from California in January 2026 and $73 million from New York in April 2026, according to USDOT, tied to concerns over non-domiciled CDL compliance.

Federal officials say these enforcement actions are meant to close licensing loopholes and improve consistency among states. However, the long-term effect on driver supply and freight capacity remains to be seen.

Trucking Training Schools Face Greater Scrutiny

Another major area of enforcement involved commercial driver training schools.

In December 2025, FMCSA mobilized more than 300 investigators nationwide to review approximately 1,500 training providers. As a result, the agency says more than 6,800 unqualified providers were removed from its registry during the past year.

The agency claims this cleanup effort is designed to improve the quality of CDL training and reduce the number of underprepared drivers entering the industry.

If enforcement remains aggressive, trucking schools may face greater scrutiny moving forward, especially regarding recordkeeping, instruction quality, and federal compliance standards.

Truck Parking and Hours-of-Service Pilots

Alongside enforcement efforts, FMCSA says it has also taken steps it believes could benefit drivers directly.

The agency reports investing more than $300 million in truck parking grants since April 2025. More parking capacity has been a major concern across the industry for years, and these investments aim to address parking shortages that often create safety and scheduling problems for drivers.

FMCSA has also introduced two pilot programs related to hours-of-service flexibility:

Flexible Sleeper Berth

This program allows drivers to split their required 10-hour off-duty period in different ways.

Split Duty Periods

This proposal would allow drivers to pause their 14-hour on-duty clock for anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours.

The agency hopes these programs may give drivers more scheduling control while reducing fatigue. Still, the programs will likely be judged by safety data and driver participation over time.

Other Trucking Policy Changes Affecting Drivers

USDOT also pointed to several other trucking-related actions over the past year, including:

• Withdrawing a proposed federal speed limiter rule for heavy trucks
• Continuing the ELD exemption for pre-2000 model year trucks
• Updating the DataQs system used by drivers and carriers to challenge safety record information
• Launching a mobile-friendly complaint platform for reporting violations involving brokers and training providers
• Releasing updated online driver resource tools for easier mobile access to FMCSA information

In March 2026, Secretary Duffy also attended the Mid-America Trucking Show in Kentucky, where USDOT says it continued outreach efforts with truck drivers and industry stakeholders.

What’s Ahead for Trucking Under New Policies

The past year has brought major regulatory and enforcement changes to trucking. Federal officials say those efforts are aimed at raising standards, improving safety oversight, and expanding driver support.

At the same time, many of the agency’s longer-term goals—such as better parking access, reduced fatigue, and improved fairness in compliance systems—will likely depend on how these policies perform in practice.

For truck drivers, carriers, and training providers, the next phase may reveal whether these actions lead to lasting operational improvements or create new challenges for the industry.