What could be on tap for trucking regulations in 2021? With a new administration in the White House, new leadership at the U.S. DOT, and Democratic control of both chambers of Congress, the environment in Washington will likely be decidedly more regulation-friendly than in the Trump era. Here’s a look at regulations that could be up for consideration in 2021 under that altered landscape:
Driver classification laws. Expected in the early months of 2021 is a ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the California Trucking Association’s (CTA) case against California’s A.B. 5 law, which was largely interpreted as blocking motor carriers from contracting loads to owner-operators or small fleets. It spurred many carriers to stop working with owner-operators all together, including leased owner-operators who own their own truck but run under the authority of another carrier.
