“There ought to be a law!” Isn’t that our frustrated cry when faced with situations in life that just don’t make sense? The sad irony is that life does give us laws – lots of them.


Trucking no doubt has many laws, as well as regulations. Whether we believe those laws and regulations good or bad, fair or unfair, we need to understand what they are, how they originate, and what we can do about them.


In this PrePass whitepaper, you will learn all you need to know about federal trucking regulations, with a particular focus on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations.


“THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW!” ISN’T THAT OUR


FRUSTRATED CRY WHEN FACED WITH SITUATIONS IN LIFE THAT JUST DON’T MAKE SENSE?


WHAT ARE REGULATIONS? REGULATIONS ARE LAW, PERIOD.


Regulations come from a government entity with the authority to require compliance – a “regulatory agency.” Regulatory agencies arm regulations with sanctions to encourage compliance among those who fall under the agency’s authority.


The FMCSA, for example, is the regulatory agency for commercial trucks and buses. FMCSA is one of several agencies that operate under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Under federal law, FMCSA publishes regulations which motor carriers must follow or face penalties.


In contrast, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is not a regulatory agency and operates independent of the USDOT. NTSB conducts investigations, issues findings, and calls on USDOT regulatory agencies like FMCSA to take certain steps – but federal law does not authorize NTSB to issue regulations and it has no authority to require compliance.


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