FMCSA Looks Ahead in 2026
It is the great paradox of the second Trump presidency; while the 47th president wants to reduce the total number of regulations on the books (at times touting a 10-to-1 ratio on the number of regulations removed versus added), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has seen more regulations put into place in the name of safety. Part of this is due to a series of news headlines detailing crashes in 2025, crashes that the Trump Administration has deemed entirely preventable due to circumstances involving them. Here is a quick rundown of what the trucking industry might be able to expect from the FMCSA in 2026.
English Enforcement
If you have been following the trucking industry in the last year, this one should not come as a surprise to you. The FMCSA estimates that 3.8% of drivers on the road do not have an acceptable level of English proficiency, leading to misunderstandings of road signs and communication with various safety officers on the road.
The increased enforcement of requiring English proficiency has caused a schism between the federal government and complying states against those who are hesitant to comply, with the Department of Transportation often threatening to withhold funding if the opposing states do not get into line.
ELD Enforcement
Recently, Derek Barrs of the FMCSA announced that he wants to change how Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are registered into the system, shifting the onus less onto the trucking company and its drivers and more onto the company providing the ELD. This is an increase of regulation, but a welcome one that we at TopMark Funding have been pining for years.
Driving Training Schools
At the end of 2025 the FMCSA was doing a crackdown on driver training schools that were not up to their standards, removing 3,000 providers from its registry. It is expected that this process will continue, whittling down the number of driving schools the FMCSA approves of in regards to getting a commercial driver’s license.
Conclusion
All of this is to say that 2026 will be a sequel to 2025, as the Trump Administration continues to do what it is doing.
While regulations often stifle productivity, reasonable regulations are helpful in making sure that safety on the road is increased. It is a fine balance that the Trump Administration must cross to keep both the trucking industry and its drivers both safe and appeased.
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