Top trucking trends for 2020

TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, Dave Heller and TCA Manager of Government Affairs, Kathryn Sanner

As 2019 comes to a close and 2020 kicks into gear, now is a good time to prepare for the potential regulatory and legislative action that the trucking industry will see in the new year. We can expect big things in 2020, starting with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

First on the agenda is the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which will go live on January 6. We doubt the rollout will be completely seamless, but the transparency that the Clearinghouse will bring to our industry regarding drivers’ drug testing history is a much-needed step forward. We may also finally see federal hair testing guidelines formally approved this year, which will further accelerate the Clearinghouse’s efforts. 

FMCSA will also likely put forward a final rule on changes to the federal hours-of-service (HOS) regulations in 2020. This rule change has been “fast tracked” by the Administration, and a notice in the Federal Register announcing the updates is expected in the spring or summer. While FMCSA unfortunately is not pursuing full sleeper berth flexibility, TCA is encouraged that the HOS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking discussed moving toward a 7/3 sleeper berth split along with many other important improvements. 

On the legislative side, Congress will work to advance highway reauthorization legislation in 2020. The final bill will include many different trucking-related initiatives, and TCA is actively working to ensure the language provides the maximum benefit for our industry. This includes safety measures like mandates for speed limiters and automatic emergency breaking, provisions for improved truck parking, and funding to advance awareness of the job opportunities available in trucking.