Obama-Era Truck Safety Regulations Up for Debate

According to a report on NPR, the federal government is considering rolling back Obama-era truck safety rules set to take effect next month. David Schaper reports:

Truckers, who complain they work in one of the nation's most over-regulated industries, will make the case for deregulation at a House Small Business Committee hearing today that is meant to "explore ways to provide regulatory relief to the industry." Dubbed "Highway to Headache: Federal Regulations on the Small Trucking Industry," the hearing will feature testimony from individual owner-operators as well as owners of small trucking firms.

Schafer presents the case of the trucking industry for lessening the restraints of safety regulations, along with the pushback from safety advocates. The main issue on the table is a new cap how many hours truck drivers can work, and an electronic device that tracks drivers to ensure they are following those regulations.

Angie Schmitt picked up on the news, commenting on the Trump Administration's support for the truck industry's interests. Schmitt clearly supports the new safety regulations, and notes that the Trump Administration already rescinded another set of Obama-era truck safety regulations that required sleep apnea screening and treatment for drivers in August.