Pro-trucker package promises millions 

The U.S. Department of Transportation has unveiled a package of new programs, updates, and initiatives to support truck drivers across the nation. The goal is to make life easier and safer for truck drivers, and to improve overall road safety for all travelers.

The package includes five key focus areas:

1. Truck parking. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to release over $275 million in funding to help expand truck parking, with $180 million going to Florida alone. The DOT says this will help reduce the time spent looking for parking and reduce the number of unsafe spots that drivers are currently forced to settle with.
2. Speed limiters. The DOT is withdrawing a proposal to mandate speed limiters for heavy trucks. The agency says such a mandate would have created a safety hazard by forcing drivers to travel slower than the flow of traffic.
3. Driver resources. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is updating the Consumer Complaint database and the DataQs system, along with other digital tools, to make the websites more transparent and easier to use.  
4. Regulation simplification. FMCSA has proposed to remove around 1,800 words from the federal regulations and claims the changes could save the motor carrier industry millions of dollars annually. The agency also says it’s committed to keeping an existing electronic logging device (ELD) mandate for pre-2000 model year trucks.
5. Bad actors. The FMCSA is making a specific effort to target unlawful double-brokering laws and to hold bad actors accountable for their actions.