Driver hours, carrier safety & federal regulation
FMCSA signals more HOS flexibility and SMS changes, but no new rule is in effect
· Source: FMCSA / Transport Topics
FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Steve Dowling said the agency plans additional work on hours-of-service flexibility and its Safety Measurement System. The remarks point to future pilots, proposals and public input—not an immediate change to current driving limits or carrier safety scores.
Summary and practical context by RoadHouse Recruiting · Reviewed
The agency described future work, not a completed rule
Dowling told the WEX OTR Summit that carriers should expect more work on hours-of-service flexibility and proposals for evaluating changes to the Safety Measurement System. FMCSA had not published a new HOS rule, SMS methodology proposal or effective date when reviewed. Current limits and the existing SMS methodology therefore remain controlling outside a specific waiver, exemption or authorized pilot.
Two controlled HOS pilots are being prepared for 2027
FMCSA says the Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot will test additional split combinations totaling at least 10 hours, with at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper. The Split Duty Period pilot will test pausing the 14-hour window for up to three hours of qualifying non-driving time. Pretests used nine drivers per program; the wider studies are expected to include 256 drivers each for four months. Those parameters apply only to authorized participants and do not create general operating authority for other drivers.
SMS changes would require a separate public process
FMCSA says its SMS uses inspection, crash and investigation data to prioritize higher-risk carriers and is updated monthly. Dowling said the agency intends to present changes for comment and evaluation, but the reported remarks did not identify revised BASICs, thresholds, weighting formulas or an implementation schedule. A carrier should not change compliance or DataQs practices based on a conference preview alone.
Motus progress was a management estimate
Transport Topics reported Dowling's statement that about 95% of carrier registration was in place in Motus while the remaining problems continued to keep some legitimate users from completing transactions. FMCSA did not publish a transaction-level audit with the remarks, so the percentage should be treated as an agency official's operating estimate rather than proof that every registration function is reliable.
What carriers and drivers should do now
RoadHouse perspective: continue applying the HOS rules that currently govern each load, preserve ELD and detention records, and do not use proposed pilot flexibility unless FMCSA formally enrolls the driver. Carriers should monitor official FMCSA notices for an SMS preview, document Motus failures and keep current safety data under review so a later methodology change does not distract from correcting inaccurate or preventable violations now.
Understanding the update
Transport Topics directly reported Dowling's conference remarks. FMCSA's own pages confirm the existing pilot designs and the current SMS update process, but the agency had not issued a new rule or detailed SMS proposal when reviewed. This article therefore treats the remarks as an announced direction and separates them from requirements already in effect.
What it means for drivers and carriers
More HOS flexibility and SMS revisions may be coming, but carriers and drivers should follow current rules until FMCSA publishes specific pilot authority, proposals or effective dates.
Questions to consider
- Is the driver formally enrolled in an FMCSA pilot or operating under a specific waiver?
- Which SMS methodology changes will FMCSA actually publish for comment?
- Are Motus filing attempts and support contacts documented before a deadline?
Read the original reporting
This page provides an original summary and practical commentary. The linked source contains the full reporting. Older stories reflect information available on their published dates.
Read the source at FMCSA / Transport Topics ↗ (opens in a new tab)