National Transportation Consultants News
Find out what’s happening with National Transportation Consultants, our partners, and our clients.
Roadside Inspection Programs
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Operation SafeDRIVE was conducted earlier this year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). During the three-day effort, FMCSA inspectors, and law enforcement partners in 26 states and the...
Financial Responsibility Requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released a report with this lengthy title: Examining the Appropriateness of the Current Financial Responsibility and Security Requirements for Motor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders – Report to...
CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria Changes
CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria Changes Last year, the voting members of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) approved seventeen changes to the out-of-service criteria which went into effect on April 1: 1. Two sections were amended to separate CDL endorsements...
Regulatory Changes
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has made some changes to 49 CFR to streamline and clarify some sections, as discussed below: Electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (Effective March 23, 2026) The agency has added language to §396.11 to...
Medical Examiner’s Certificate
By now, all 50 states should be able to accept electronic medical examiner’s certificates (MEC) and use that upload to automatically update the medical expiration date on the driver’s CDL record. Unfortunately, there are still eight states that are unable to comply....
Rear Light Exemptions
Two truck light manufacturers have filed exemption requests with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Both companies want the ability to equip commercial trucks and trailers with lights at the rear that flash and/or are amber in color. One system...
Trucking Litigation
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released a study titled “Trucking Litigation: A Forensic Analysis.” The sixty-page report discusses litigation trends and developing areas of concern. The content of this article is taken from the report. The...
Minimum Age Exemption
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for a 5-year exemption to allow motor carriers that previously participated in the Agency’s Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program, which ended on...
Warning Devices for Stopped Trucks
FMCSA Study on Warning Devices for Stopped Trucks: What to Know The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced a Study of Warning Devices for Stopped Commercial Motor Vehicles. According to FMCSA, “It is an experimental study that...
Electronic Medical Certification
FMCSA Electronic Medical Certification Rule Takes Effect The 2015 rule mandating electronic medical certifications became effective June 23, 2025. Yet, on that date, 13 states could not accept electronic submissions. Since then, the list has shrunk to nine...