The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has finalized a new rule designed to significantly reduce compliance costs and administrative burdens for fuel‑hauling truck operators — a move expected to benefit thousands of small fleets and streamline hazardous freight movements.
The rule — part of a broader federal push to eliminate “unnecessary regulatory burdens” — reinstates an older marking exception for fuel haulers and modernises inspection requirements to allow digital and video‑based tank inspections rather than mandatory confined‑space entries, which have long slowed operations and raised safety concerns.
Under the updated placarding requirements, fuel delivery drivers can now display the hazardous material identification number for the highest hazard fuel hauled that day, instead of having to change placards between every load of gasoline, diesel or kerosene. This eliminates repetitive manual placard swaps — saving time, reducing risk and cutting down on potential fines tied to marking mistakes.
PHMSA estimates that these changes will drive about $145 million in annualised cost savings for the trucking industry, with smaller fuel‑hauling companies seeing average savings in excess of $5,600 per business each year. The agency noted that under the prior stricter marking standards, compliance could cost up to $800 per truck, reflecting the cumulative impact of regulatory requirements on operational efficiency.
Beyond placarding, the new rule’s acceptance of video tank inspections marks a broader shift toward using technology to reduce downtime and paperwork without undermining safety protocols for hazardous materials transport. For drivers, fleet owners and logistics planners, this regulatory change represents less route downtime and fewer administrative hurdles, potentially improving delivery reliability and cutting operating expenses in a sector where compliance has historically been a major cost driver.
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