This Week at the Department of Transportation — week of June 22, 2026

This week the Department of Transportation finalized three rules that reduce paperwork for commercial truck drivers and carriers, proposed changes affecting self-driving vehicles and vehicle safety testing, and set payment rates for a government-backed fleet of commercial tankers kept available for military use. None of the actions change underlying safety standards; most adjust administrative requirements or update how the rules apply to new technology.

Trucking paperwork

• The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) finalized a rule that ends the requirement for trucking companies to return roadside inspection forms to the state agency that performed the inspection. Carriers only need to send the form back if the state specifically requests it. The change does not alter inspection procedures or safety standards, only the recordkeeping step.
• FMCSA finalized a rule removing the federal requirement for commercial driver’s license holders to personally report out-of-state traffic convictions to their home state. The change reflects that states now share this information electronically; it does not affect how violations are tracked or penalized.
• FMCSA finalized a rule that eliminates the requirement for commercial motor vehicle operators to carry a physical copy of their electronic logging device (ELD) user manual in the vehicle. The change removes a printing and storage cost without changing enforcement capabilities.

Self-driving vehicles

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed updating Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 135, which covers light vehicle brakes, so that vehicles with automated driving systems that lack traditional steering wheels or pedals can meet federal safety standards. Without the update, manufacturers could not legally certify such vehicles under the current brake rules.
• NHTSA withdrew a proposal that would have created a voluntary reporting program for companies operating automated driving systems, known as AV STEP. The program would have required participating companies to share operational data and undergo independent safety assessments. NHTSA is instead relying on existing frameworks, including the April 2025 Automated Vehicle Framework.

Bus and heavy truck testing

• The Federal Transit Administration proposed updating its bus testing program, which requires states and local agencies to test new transit buses before buying them with federal funds. The proposal would require retesting of older models to ensure vehicles meet current emissions and braking standards. The agency estimates the added testing would cost industry about $2 million annually over ten years.
• NHTSA proposed delaying the compliance date for updated seat belt testing standards for heavy vehicles over 10,000 pounds from September 2027 to September 2030. The safety requirements themselves would not change, but manufacturers would get more time to prove their designs meet the new testing conditions.

Maritime tanker fleet

• The Maritime Administration finalized regulations for the Tanker Security Program, which pays private shipowners to keep U.S.-flagged product tankers available for military use. The rule sets the payment at $8.16 million per vessel per year and defines eligibility. The program exists to ensure the Department of Defense can access sufficient tanker capacity during war or emergencies without building its own commercial fleet.

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This weekly agency digest is generated from federal records (the Federal Register and Congress.gov) and summarized in plain English. It may simplify or omit detail — follow the linked official sources before relying on any item. Part of The Boring Parts.