Freight Industries Rally Around CPAC: Industry Stakeholders Back CRF’s Call for Regulatory Reform

On May 5, CPAC Foundation’s Center for Regulatory Freedom (CRF) submitted comments urging

the U.S. Department of Transportation to rescind more than 10 regulations harming the

transportation sector, highlighting one particularly problematic rule for trucking and freight

stakeholders. This rule imposes a restrictive waiver process for regulatory relief, which CRF

challenged with strong support from the freight industry—demonstrating CRF’s leadership in

advocating against excessive federal regulation.

CRF’s comments highlighted that FMCSA’s exemption and waiver process is overly restrictive and complex, especially for small trucking companies. FreightWaves, a leading transportation and logistics news source, agrees with and supports CRF’s criticisms of FMCSA’s excessive

justification requirements, costly application procedures, and lengthy public comment periods

that delay much-needed regulatory relief (see their article expressing their support). This shared industry support underscores the urgent need to reform the exemption process to better address competitive challenges.

Proposed Solutions

Provide Separate Exemption Application Category

A separate exemption category for non-safety-critical rules would streamline and expedite relief from administrative burdens, allowing carriers to more easily obtain exemptions for minor regulatory requirements that do not affect safety.

Expedite Process for Non-Safety-Critical Exemptions

Expanding this separate category to include an expedited process for non-safety-critical

exemptions—without requiring safety analyses or technical reports—would streamline approvals and reduce unnecessary burdens for carriers seeking administrative relief.

Remove the “Equivalent Safety Standard”

Currently, carriers must prove an exemption will improve safety, forcing many small businesses to hire costly outside help; removing this requirement would make the process more accessible and affordable by allowing applicants to focus on the practical need for relief.

CRF’s active engagement in the regulatory process has positioned it as a leading advocate for

transportation stakeholders, driving meaningful change by urging the U.S. Department of

Transportation to rescind more than 10 burdensome regulations—including those that

disproportionately impact small trucking companies. By proposing targeted reforms and rallying broad industry support, CRF continues to play a pivotal role in shaping policies that reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers and promote a fairer, more competitive environment for the freight sector.