Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations determine the commercial trucking insurance that businesses need to stay operational and compliant. Any changes in these regulations have widespread implications for trucking businesses. Changes to compliance requirements can include updated liability minimums, insurance coverage for specific vehicles or cargo types, additional requirements for new technologies, and more.
Trucking companies and their owners must pay attention to these changes, gauge their impact on operations, and modify their insurance packages accordingly. In this article, we review the FMCSA’s regulation changes in 2024 and how they will impact trucking businesses. This information can help owners manage insurance costs and coverage limits to maintain compliance and operate safely in their states in 2025 and beyond.
Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Enforcement
Beginning on November 18, 2024, the FMCSA updated its policy for commercial drivers flagged by the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Being flagged for drug and alcohol violations by the FMCSA will change the driver’s safety status in the following ways:
- Loss or denial of state-issued commercial driving privileges
- Downgraded commercial driver’s license (CDL)
- Mandated “return-to-duty” training process
The FMCSA collaborates with state DMV offices to enforce this mandate, helping to make sure that flagged drivers cannot continue to operate without the department’s knowledge. Trucking companies must hold their drivers to Clearinghouse rules, and this new policy further integrates state and federal driving administrations to hold companies accountable for these violations.
The insurance implications of this change include needing increased risk assessments at the company level, especially for high-risk drivers. Being flagged by the FMCSA Clearinghouse can result in increased insurance premiums and potential loss of benefits. To prepare for this change, trucking business owners should conduct thorough audits of their at-risk drivers’ compliance status.
Registration System Changes
The FMCSA will roll out multiple registration system changes in 2025 that could impact how trucking businesses are authenticated and verified. The goal of these changes is to improve safety and combat cyber fraud.
For example, the FMCSA is retiring MC numbers and streamlining registration to focus on USDOT numbers only. Under the current system, carriers have to track both numbers in their records, which can lead to complex record-keeping workflows and inefficient audits. The FMCSA will now rely on a Unified Registration System (URS) to integrate its carrier network using only USDOT numbers with a suffix to distinguish different types of carriers.
This change will go into effect on October 1, 2025, to enhance the ability of trucking businesses to prevent electronic fraud, conduct audits, and maintain compliance. For insurance purposes, insurers will update their systems and policies to align with the FMCSA’s new documentation system. This includes designating policies exclusively with USDOT numbers.
The next steps for trucking businesses are to verify the accuracy of their USDOT numbers with their insurance provider, update internal records and compliance documents to reflect the new classification, and discuss potential policy changes with the provider. These could include updating filings for liability coverage or cargo insurance, or updating regulatory filings and proof of insurance documents with the FMSCA to avoid a mismatch.
Other FMCSA Changes
Many of the FMCSA’s changes for 2025 have been changed or rescheduled to a later date pending a board review. Trucking company owners should consider how these changes may impact their operations if approved.
Truck Speed Limiter Rule: Speed limiters, which electronically restrict the vehicle’s maximum speed, have been proposed and delayed for several years. The FMCSA is set to review a possible requirement for commercial trucks over 26,000 pounds to have speed limiters. New information should surface in May 2025.
ELD Engine Requirements: The FMCSA will decide in June 2025 whether vehicles with engines built before 2000 will be required to have Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs). Under the current rules, these engines are exempt from this requirement.
These changes could impact carriers in several ways, such as increasing their premium costs or impacting profitability. Companies may need to adjust their operations, reallocate resources, and reassess their current policies with their insurers. These changes are significant for all companies, but small operators may be most impacted.
Partner with Pro Insurance Group to Update Insurance Coverage for 2025
The FMCSA often delays updates for 6-12 months. In other cases, it may change its stance on certain requirements without communicating with the impacted companies. Our team of insurance advisors at Pro Insurance Group helps local trucking companies future-proof their insurance strategies against current, upcoming, and potential FMCSA regulation changes.
Contact our team today to learn how upcoming changes could impact your insurance status and the steps needed to update your business’s policies and maintain compliance in 2025 and beyond.