Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Grants a Crucial Regulatory Exemption for Autonomous Trucks
On October 9, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) took a significant step toward enabling the large-scale deployment of driverless heavy trucks on public roads in the United States. The agency granted autonomous motor carriers a five-year exemption from the regulatory requirement that a truck that stops on the side of the road must put warning triangles on the ground. This seemingly mundane requirement has posed a potential roadblock (so to speak) to the operation of autonomous trucking. The recent exemption, which follows years of petitions and litigation, offers a solution.
The Newest Phase of EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards: Phase 3
On March 29, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its most recent national greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution standards for heavy-duty (HD) vehicles, including HD vocational vehicles and tractors. The rule establishes new CO2 emission standards for model year (MY) 2032 and later HD vehicles, with more stringent CO2 standards phasing in as early as MY 2027 for certain vehicle categories.
