Wondering what the trucking industry in 2022 will look like? So were we. That’s why EROAD in December teamed up with P. Sean Garney of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting for the webinar, What to Expect with Trucking Regulations in 2022.
Garney packed a ton of valuable information into the session, including the new infrastructure act, the regulatory agenda, both official and unofficial, and more. We recommend watching a recording of the webinar at your convenience, which you can access by clicking here.
In the meantime, here are some highlights from the informative session.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law in November includes $110 billion for roads and bridges. Garney highlighted several provisions in the bill that could impact the trucking industry in 2022 and beyond.
Among them are:
- Advisory board to recruit more women into the trucking workforce
- Requirements for automatic emergency braking
- Requirements for underride protections
- Apprenticeship pilot program for younger drivers
How soon some of these provisions will be implemented is still an open question, Garney said.
“Whenever I’m talking about government action, I’m encouraging anybody listening to bet the over,” he said. “They don’t often meet these congressional timelines, but it certainly offers us some guideposts.”
FMCSA Regulatory Agenda
Technology
“Technology is clearly on the agenda of the FMCSA,” Garney said, including the safe integration of automated driving systems.
“We’re looking for a notice of proposed rulemaking to come out next year,” he added. “Essentially, what they’re doing is they’re surveying the scene and they’re trying to figure out which rules need amending, revising or eliminating in order to facilitate the adoption of these automated driving systems.”
Other tech topics on the agenda include:
- Updating the area for voluntary installation of vehicle safety tech, such as dash cams
- Camera-based rearview visibility systems
- Tech-Celerate program for the adoption of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
Driver Health
The FMCSA is working to eliminate health-related waiver programs, Garney said.
“You’ve got these medical qualification standards and then a driver is unable to pass those particular standards. But then, ultimately, there is an alternate standard that they can apply to for FMCSA, which then makes them eligible; FMCSA grants them an exemption from those particular rules and then they’re eligible to drive, which puts carriers in a precarious situation knowing that a driver doesn’t meet the medical qualifications standards but has then been subsequently qualified.”
Other driver health topics on the agenda include:
- New vision standard allowing for monocular drivers
- Updating the hearing standard
Other Driver Issues
Entry-level driver training: Rules are on track to be implemented on Feb. 7 requiring new entrants to be trained by trainers that are self-certified and registered with the FMCSA.
Record of violations: A final rule is expected in 2022 on a proposal to eliminate the requirement that drivers annually report their moving violations convictions to carriers because, Garney said, “mostly it’s just a paper chase.”
Younger driver pilot program: “They’re currently working on a military younger driver pilot program, not a lot of folks enrolled because there’s not a lot of retired military folks between the ages of 18 and 21,” Garney said, adding that a civilian program has been proposed.
Garney covered a lot more ground during the webinar, including his thoughts on what might be on the FMCSA’s “unofficial” agenda. If you want to know what to expect for the trucking industry in 2022, click here to watch a recording of the webinar.
