Trucking Industry Watch (Q2): Part 1

2025 has ushered in a time of change for the United States as a whole and for industries operating within its economy. The new presidential administration has devoted considerable effort to reducing red tape and cutting waste, while also quickly shifting its focus to initiatives put in place by previous administrations

Recently Gary Falldin, Sr, Director of Industry Solutions at Platform Science, delivered a “state of the industry” presentation covering current and upcoming changes and issues facing the commercial trucking industry. Falldin has more than 35 years’ experience in the transportation industry, was previously named “Safety Professional of the Year” by the Minnesota Trucking Association, and currently serves as the Regulatory Chair for the Minnesota Trucking Association. His insights and industry connections serve as an example of how Platform Science works to ensure its customers and products are prepared to respond to any new regulations and developments on the horizon.

Below is Part 1 of a two-part series covering key points commercial fleets should consider during this time of flux.

‍Reducing the Regulatory Burden

President Trump has signed an executive order requiring that for every new regulation issued by a federal agency, at least 10 existing regulations must be identified for repeal. This is a significant increase compared to the previous "two-for-one" deregulation policy during his first term. This is seen as a positive development for the trucking industry, which has felt burdened by regulations.

EPA EV Mandate Revisions

As part of the new administration’s deregulatory action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken the first steps in rolling back dozens of climate, air and water pollution, and emissions regulations. The conversations — aimed at terminating the previous administration’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate that required 56% of vehicles sold, be electric by 2032. The mandate also included a timeline for increasing the percentage of zero-emission medium and heavy duty trucks. This highlights the ongoing debate on balancing environmental protection and economic health.

While many vehicle manufacturers have been moving in EV direction, some argue that government mandates place false pressures on the speed of the development and can not yet be supported by industries and consumers. Vehicle dealerships have posed similar points, adding that they believe high EV prices are pricing out millions of consumers from the new-car market. Proponents of the new administration’s proposed changes believe that removing the mandates will allow the economy and consumers to drive the evolution of EVs more organically.

Introduction of the Transportation Freedom Act

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in Feb. 2025 — known as the Transportation Freedom Act — seeks, among other things, to repeal heavy-duty emissions standards, eliminate new and existing emissions waivers granted to states, and set a national standard for emissions. The bill notably proposes to repeal Phase 3 of the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Standards, which set more stringent standards for heavy-duty vehicles (including tractor trailers) beginning with model year 2027. 

The new proposal would require the EPA to publish revised GHG emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks after consulting more thoroughly with manufacturers, automotive dealers, end users, energy producers, consumer groups, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure no negative economic impact would come out of the emission standards, including for manufacturing job quality and stability. Until that rule is finalized, the Phase 2 GHG standards would serve as the interim standards.

President Trump Signs Resolution

On June 12th, President Donald Trump signed a resolution that blocks California’s rule banning the sale of new gas powered cars in 2035. The resolution also revokes the waivers for rules that phase out the sale of medium and heavy duty diesel vehicles and cut tailpipe emissions from trucks.

California Clean Truck Check

As of June 2025, California's Clean Truck Check Program is still in effect. Trucks with a GVWR over 14,000 lbs that operate in California must register with CARB and undergo emissions testing twice a year. Starting in 2027, the testing frequency will increase to four times per year for vehicles equipped with onboard diagnostic systems.

‍New Leadership for FMCSA

In March 2025, Derek Barrs was nominated by the president to serve as Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Barrs is a former Florida Highway Patrol chief with more than three decades in public safety and most recently served as Associate Vice President at HNTB, a transportation infrastructure solutions firm. His nomination is supported by both the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and the American Trucking Association (ATA), in which he serves in leadership roles.

Support for English Proficiency Guidelines

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean P. Duffy recently signed an order announcing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators. Under the new guidance, commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who do not meet FMCSA’s longstanding English-language proficiency (ELP) requirements will be placed out-of-service. 

This guidance is in line with President Trump’s Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers executive order which states that English proficiency is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers. CMV drivers should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers and checkpoint personnel, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English. 

In 2016, the Obama administration previously directed inspectors not to place CMV drivers out-of-service for ELP violations. Beginning June 25, 2025, however, ELP violations will once again be included in the out-of-service criteria. This is supported by the ATA as well as the CVSA, who recently noted that it will be adding English proficiency to its Driver section of the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.

The Importance of an Industry-Connected Provider

Platform Science prioritizes maintaining an updated outlook on industry developments, government regulations, and industry impacts for our partners and manufacturers. In support of these efforts, we publish an annual guide on trends to watch in the upcoming year, and for 2025, we focused on the role artificial intelligence (AI) may be playing in the trucking industry.

Read more: Insights 2025: AI Trends in Trucking‍

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Industry Watch series.

To learn more about Platform Science, where drivers thrive, visit platformscience.com.

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