In one of his first actions after beginning his second term, President Donald Trump issued an order directing federal agencies to pause all rulemaking until reviewed by the White House.
On January 20, 2025, Trump signed the Regulatory Freeze Pending Review order, prohibiting agencies from submitting any new rules to the Federal Register without prior approval from the new administration. The directive also mandates the withdrawal of any rules submitted to the Office of the Federal Register that have not yet been published.
Additionally, the order advises agencies to consider delaying the implementation of rules for 60 days if they have been published but have not yet taken effect. This delay is intended to allow a thorough review of the rules’ legal, factual, and policy implications.
This regulatory freeze effectively halts immediate action by federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Among the rules developed during the Biden administration, the Heavy Vehicle Speed Limiters rule, the Heavy Vehicle Automatic Emergency Braking rule, and a broker transparency rule are now in question. Given Trump’s history of favoring deregulation, the future of these rules remains uncertain.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and other industry groups have already urged Trump to block any rule mandating speed limiters for commercial trucks.
