Regulatory Update – July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Update on Relevant U.S. Regulations

PHMSA Publishes Updates on Special Permits
On July 15, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published updates on special permit applications:

U.S. DOT Requests Comments on Updates to NFSP
On July 15, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)  comments on updates to the National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP). Comments are due by Aug. 14.

PHMSA Requests Comments on Multiple ICRs
On July 11, PHMSA  comments on multiple information collection requests (ICR), including the Radioactive Transportation Requirements ICR related to the transportation of radioactive materials in commerce, the Subsidiary Hazard Class and Number/Type of Packagings ICR related to the placement of the subsidiary hazard class and type of packaging on a shipping paper and the Flammable Hazardous Materials by Rail Transportation ICR related to the classification of rail tank cars transporting flammable liquids. Comments are due by Aug. 11.

Update on Exemptions

FMCSA Corrects Expiration Date for Virginia SPE Exemption
On July 18, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)  the July 7 notice provisionally renewing an exemption for truck and bus drivers licensed in Virginia who need a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMV) in interstate commerce. The expiration date for the provisional renewal was incorrectly published as July 8, 2030. The correct expiration date is Jan. 8, 2026. This correction is effective July 18.

NHTSA Renews Temporary Exemptions from Shoulder Belt Requirements for Motorcoaches
On July 18, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  13 petitions for renewal of temporary exemptions from the shoulder belt requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection for side-facing seats. The granted exemptions permit the petitioners to continue to install Type 1 seat belts (lap belt only) at side-facing seating positions, instead of Type 2 seat belts (lap and shoulder belts) required by FMVSS No. 208. The exemption applies to the petitioners’ motorcoaches produced from June 1, 2024, through June 1, 2026.

FMCSA Grants Hawaii CDL Skills Test and ELDT Exemption
On July 17, FMCSA  its decision to grant an exemption to Hawaii allowing the state to waive specific portions of the commercial driver’s license (CDL) skills test for CDL applicants who take the skills test on the islands of Lanai and Molokai and issue these drivers a restricted CDL. Drivers who receive a restricted CDL under the provisions of this exemption are also exempt from the entry-level driver training (ELDT) regulations. The exemption is effective July 17, 2025, through July 17, 2030.

FMCSA Responds to APTA Exemption Application
On July 17, FMCSA  its decision to grant, in part, and deny, in part, the application from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), on behalf of public transit agencies and their contractor partners. FMCSA grants the application request to allow state driver licensing agencies the option to waive the “under- the-hood” portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills test requirement for CDL applicants seeking to operate CMVs in public transportation. The exemption is effective July 16, 2025, through July 16, 2027.

CVSA Active Exemption Tracker
CVSA maintains a  issued by FMCSA. The exemption tracker can be found at www.cvsa.org under the “Inspections” tab at the top of the page.