FMCSA takes aim at HOS, SMS updates

“Our mission is really simple,” Dowling said. “It’s to reduce crashes, injuries, fatalities involving large trucks and buses.” (McLendon Photography)

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s sights are firmly set on further hours-of-service flexibility and enhancing its safety measurement system in the coming weeks and months, according to the agency’s top safety official.

The federal agency may already have had a busy year, but it is not done yet. It is also working to finish the job on existing initiatives such as the Motus online registration dashboard, FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Steve Dowling told the 2026 WEX OTR Summit.

“One of the things that I love about FMCSA is our mission is really simple, and it’s something that’s easy to get behind. It’s to reduce crashes, injuries, fatalities involving large trucks and buses,” Dowling told attendees of the conference Oct. 28.

With that in mind, the agency plans to increase its focus on HOS flexibility and an SMS update, he said.

The agency already revised four provisions of the HOS regulations in June: the short-haul exception, the adverse driving conditions exception, the 30-minute break requirement and the sleeper berth provision.

FMCSA also began two HOS pilot programs covering flexible sleeper berths and split duty periods in the spring of 2026.

And earlier in October, FMCSA expanded a temporary waiver for drivers transporting gasoline and diesel to include ethanol products and heating oil. The waiver expires Dec. 16.

But Dowling told WEX OTR attendees: “When you look at the rules and what was there, it was all trying to create some type of standard to make sure that we were addressing fatigue because it has a direct correlation to safety. Being in compliance with the rules, you can still be fatigued.

“However, on the flip side, just because that’s what the rule is doesn’t mean we don’t need to look at it and see [if] there are other ways to accomplish it that work better with the industry and how you run your operations. So, that’s one of the things that you’re going to see coming out,” he said.

When it comes to SMS, Dowling promised carriers and other industry players in the audience that the agency would present proposals for comment and evaluation.

“Our goal is to have better identification of risks that are happening,” the one-time California Highway Patrol officer said. “I’ve got a team that’s working on that. It’s never simple when you’re applying it to an industry that’s dynamic, correct?”

In the meantime, the agency is exploring the best ways to address industry gripes with Motus.

Some 95% of carrier registration is in place after initial mishaps with the system, but the remaining 5% is proving a challenge.

“That’s not acceptable to us,” the safety chief said. “There are thousands of people that we’re keeping out of the industry because we’ve initiated Motus.”

As a result, Dowling’s team is working “tirelessly” to address carrier concerns, he said, inviting any conference attendees with Motus issues to approach him after his presentation.

“I want you to come up and see me. I’ve got someone that will walk you through it. I’ve got a team that [we] will connect you to and will help you make it better. We are working for updates on that. We’re not far away from that, but there’s going to be more to come,” he promised.

Dowling said a level playing field was an imperative for FMCSA and that throughout his career as a law enforcement official and then as director of safety at Covenant Logistics, that’s all fleets wanted.

The other takeaway Dowling said he wanted fleets to leave the conference with was “safety is not a competition.”