New U.S. trucking laws on the way

The U.S. Department of Transportation is working towards three major trucking regulations.

Joseph Clapp, the first permanent administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, says the agency will open the U.S. border to Mexican motor carriers, make a decision on Hours-of-Service (H-o-S) regulations for truck drivers, and announce new rules for commercial driver licenses.

While Clapp was unable to offer a precise timetable, a U.S. government Web site suggests the hours changes are expected by March 2003. This date is inline with off-the-record reports from trucking executives who also expect to see Canuck H-o-S regs changed by the spring of 2003.