The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving forward on two significant regulatory developments that will shape US commercial trucking through 2026 and beyond. The agency has targeted May 2026 for publishing a proposed rule establishing a formal regulatory framework for the safe deployment of autonomous commercial trucks, a step that would give carriers and technology developers clearer compliance requirements for driverless operations at scale.
On the electronic logging device front, FMCSA is preparing a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify technical specifications and certification requirements for ELD systems, also targeted for May 2026. Several ELD providers were removed from the approved list as of December 2025, and carriers had until February 7, 2026 to transition to compliant devices or face hours-of-service violations.
The agency has also announced two pilot programs launching in early 2026 that will study increased flexibility in hours-of-service regulations, with participation from more than 500 commercial truck drivers. The results are expected to inform potential rule changes that could benefit long-haul operators managing driver availability.
In a separate development, FMCSA and NHTSA formally withdrew the proposed federal speed limiter mandate in July 2025, removing a rule that had drawn significant opposition from carrier associations and owner-operators across the country.
Source: FMCSA / DISA -- https://disa.com/news/2026-dot-compliance-updates-for-motor-carriers/