Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Feb. 9, 2026:
FMCSA considering request to exempt drivers from ELDs
The Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT) is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from the electronic logging device requirements.
If granted, the exemption would apply to “FOPT members and any other professional driver choosing to participate,” a Federal Register notice said.
In its request, FOPT said it’s a “nonprofit advocacy organization whose members are professional drivers and small carriers operating across the United States.” The group is requesting an exemption from the ELD requirement in 49 Code of Federal Regulations 395.8 to allow covered drivers to record their record of duty status (RODS) manually with a paper logbook, rather than with an ELD.
FOPT argued that paper logs remain enforceable, are understood by enforcement officers nationwide, and that small carriers face disproportionate financial burdens from the ELD requirements.
The group added that “[t]echnical limitations and frequent malfunctions highlight the continued necessity of paper alternatives,” and that Executive Order 12866, issued by President Bill Clinton in 1993, requires agencies to avoid unnecessary regulatory burdens when reasonable alternatives exist.
To ensure the same level of safety as operating with an ELD, FOPT said it would provide its members education to ensure accuracy in paper logs completion, adding that participating carriers would conduct random internal audits, and “violations of HOS limits by paper RODS users will result in exclusion from the exemption program.”
FMCSA will accept public comments on the request beginning Monday, Feb. 9. Comments can be filed for 30 days at www.regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2025-1282.
FMCSA requests input on allowing paper medical cards until electronic med cert rule fully implemented
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has requested that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration provide guidance to enforcement officials related to the ongoing implementation of the agency’s Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration (NRII) final rule.
With eight states still yet to fully implement the final rule, FMCSA has issued waivers that allow CDL holders to rely on a paper copy of the medical examiner’s certificate as proof of the driver’s medical certification for up to 60 days after the date the certificate was issued. The latest waiver is effective through April 10.
The NRII rule, as reported, requires states to implement an electronic process for medical certification — with examiners transmitting exam results to FMCSA via the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners and FMCSA transmitting the results to state driver’s licensing agencies to post to the driver’s motor vehicle record (MVR). States yet to implement the required systems are: Alaska, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma.
Given the uncertainty with some states still not in compliance, CVSA requested guidance from FMCSA on the matter. CVSA in its request said motor carriers “have faced challenges in uneven NRII implementation,” leading to additional costs and administrative burdens for carriers.
Even though CVSA’s request was for guidance, FMCSA is treating it as an application for exemption from the applicable regulations to allow motor carriers and drivers to continue to rely on a paper copy of the driver’s MEC as proof of the driver’s medical certification for 60 days from the date the certificate was issued. If granted, the exemption would allow motor carriers and drivers the same flexibility as the current waiver while waiting for all states to complete NRII implementation.
FMCSA is accepting comments on the request here through March 9.
[Related: Fleets, drivers given more time to use paper medical cards]
Averitt opens new Florida terminal
Averitt (CCJ Top 250, No. 25) opened its newest facility in Ocala, Florida, on Feb. 2, marking the first time since 2017 the company has constructed a new service center in a market where it didn’t already have a facility.
The service center features a 53-door facility with 36,000 square feet of dock space, as well as ample truck and trailer parking. The facility is positioned near Interstate 75 in Ocala, which will enable the company to provide even greater flexibility and more responsive service for shippers in the region and throughout the South.
The new facility reinforces Averitt’s long-term growth strategy while creating new opportunities to serve customers and support commerce in one of Florida’s fastest growing regions, the company said.
The new location will equip the company to provide Ocala-area shippers with even more capacity on same-day across town shipments, local and regional truckload moves, warehouse space, same-day cross-town cartage, night and weekend pickups and deliveries, trailer switching, local expedited runs and storage.
“We specifically chose to expand in Ocala because region is experiencing record-setting growth,” said Barry Blakely, president and chief operating officer at Averitt. “While we have serviced the Ocala market through our Jacksonville and Orlando facilities for many years, the addition of a service center in the market will allow us to offer customers greater flexibility, more distribution space, and will improve our operational efficiencies.”
Averitt’s Ocala facility is located at 3386 Northwest 35th Street Road.
