FMCSA takes a break from CDL crackdown efforts

WASHINGTON The threat to thousands of trucking jobs has been eased, at least for the moment, after a federal appeals court granted the Trump administrations request to pause the lawsuit challenging new commercial driving rules.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued the pause on Wednesday, reinforcing its previous order from last month that temporarily blocked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSA) interim rule targeting non-domiciled commercial drivers license (CDL) and learner permit holders.

FMCSA requested this hold, which faced no opposition from the lawsuits petitioners, to allow time to review roughly 8,000 public comments submitted regarding the interim rule and consider adjustments before finalizing it.

The courts action provides temporary relief to the trucking sector. FMCSA had estimated that the rule could eliminate nearly 200,000 jobs. Under the prior stay issued in November, drivers contesting the rule remained under the previous, less restrictive standards that were in effect before September 29.

While the agency can continue planning for the implementation of stricter regulations, state departments responsible for issuing driver licenses are generally allowed to continue issuing and renewing CDLs for non-domiciled applicants.

The lawsuit, filed in October by Public Citizen Litigation Group, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, represents truck driver Jorge Rivera Lujan, who has held a CDL for over ten years. The suit claims Lujan, who has lived in the U.S. since age two, was unable to renew his license on September 30 due to the interim rule.

Depending on the specifics of FMCSAs final rule, Lujan and other affected drivers could face the loss of their trucking livelihoods despite complying with all legal and licensing requirements before the rule change.

Author: Riley Thompson