FMCSA Rulemaking Targets Bad Actors
In an announcement on February 20th, 2026, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Derek Barrs announced a new set of regulations to be put into place to target bad actors in the driving industry, those that put safety not at the top of the list, or even in the first five priorities.
Details
“These efforts are about restoring integrity and safety,” Duffy said in the announcement. “When we get on the road, we should expect that we should be safe and that those who drive those 80,000-pound big rigs are well trained, they are well qualified and they’re going to be safe.”
The primary target of their search is what is called “chameleon carriers.” When a trucking company has its safety rating impacted, oftentimes it is easier for them to close up shop and reopen under a new name and DOT number, allowing them a squeaky-clean record despite having driving practices that may very well lead to another accident.
One such regulation the FMCSA plans to enforce better is the requirement of a business to have a verifiable physical address, as opposed to a P.O. Box number, so that if a business were to attempt to start anew, the entire process would be much more difficult, requiring carriers to go through all of the paperwork of leaving their old business location behind and finding a new one.
“We’re going to have way more stringent regulations for our carriers,” Duffy said. “One individual can get 100 different DOT numbers. We want to make sure that the DOT number is connected to an actual individual.”
Other regulations announced to target bad actors include the end of self-certification for driver training schools. Having tougher scrutiny on driver schools will result in fewer being open but will assure the quality of training.
Brokers are also being put under the magnifying glass as well, as they will be given additional testing requirements during registration.
Conclusion
As these regulations specifically target bad actors and do not apply to safe driving companies with spotless or near-spotless records, it is a little difficult to complain.
The regulations still have to follow the typical procedures, including being published in the Federal Register and potentially being challenged in court if someone feels they are a violation, but otherwise it looks like these changes will make it harder for those who operate with unacceptable standards to do so in the United States.
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