Trucking Laws · Nationwide · October 31, 2026

FMCSA Safety Chief Says Motus Is Keeping 'Thousands' Out of Trucking, and More Hours of Service Flexibility Is Coming for Truckers

By Big Rig Daily Staff

A top federal safety official says a new registration system is keeping thousands of people out of trucking, and that the agency is working on it. Steve Dowling, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) chief safety officer, spoke at the 2026 WEX OTR Summit in Ponte Vedra, Florida, on Oct. 28, according to a Transport Topics report published Oct. 30. Truckers also weighed in on hours of service in a Land Line story the same day.

What he said about Motus

Dowling said carrier registration through the Motus online dashboard is about 95% complete after initial problems, but the remaining 5% is proving a challenge. "That's not acceptable to us," he said. "There are thousands of people that we're keeping out of the industry because we've initiated Motus."

He said his team is working "tirelessly" on carrier concerns and invited anyone at the conference with Motus problems to see him after his talk. "I've got someone that will walk you through it," he said. "We are working for updates on that. We're not far away from that, but there's going to be more to come." Big Rig Daily has explained what Motus registration is and covered an FMCSA official's comments on fixing it.

More hours of service flexibility

Dowling said FMCSA plans to increase its focus on hours of service flexibility and on updating its Safety Measurement System (SMS). Transport Topics reported that the agency revised four hours of service provisions in June: the short haul exception, the adverse driving conditions exception, the 30 minute break requirement and the sleeper berth provision.

"Being in compliance with the rules, you can still be fatigued," Dowling said. He added that "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."

On SMS, he promised that the agency would present proposals for comment. "Our goal is to have better identification of risks that are happening," he said.

The two pilot programs

FMCSA began two pilot programs in the spring of 2026. Land Line reported the details:

• The Split Duty Period Pilot Program will evaluate whether truck drivers can safely pause their 14 hour driving window for up to three hours each day while in a qualifying non-driving status.
• The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program will evaluate split sleeper options that let participants divide their time into two periods in any combination, provided the periods total at least 10 hours and one includes at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.

The public may comment on both through Dec. 7. Land Line said truckers have mostly spoken in support. One commenter, Maie Lee, wrote that "the 10-hour change will increase efficiency and control over our time." Another, Wade Reeves, urged the agency to do away with its electronic logging device mandate, calling the devices "dangerous." That is one commenter's opinion. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh said hours of service rules are "overly complex" and provide little flexibility.

For background on the current rules, see Big Rig Daily's guide to ELDs and hours of service.

Quick facts

• Who: FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Steve Dowling, Oct. 28, 2026.
• Motus: about 95% of carrier registration in place; he called the remaining 5% "not acceptable."
• HOS: four provisions revised in June; two pilot programs underway.
• Comments: accepted through Dec. 7.

FAQ

How can truckers comment on the FMCSA hours of service pilot programs?

The public may comment on both pilot programs through Dec. 7, according to Land Line.

How complete is Motus registration?

FMCSA Chief Safety Officer Steve Dowling said Oct. 28 that carrier registration through Motus is about 95% complete after initial problems, but the remaining 5% is proving a challenge. "That's not acceptable to us," he said. Big Rig Daily has explained what Motus registration is.

A question for readers

If you could change one thing about the 14 hour clock, what would it be?

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