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Transportation PolicyFederal and Texas rules for trucks and roads

Federal and Texas rules for truck drivers, carriers and roads, tracked from the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations and the Texas Register.

This section tracks the rules that govern commercial vehicles and the policies that shape Houston’s streets, with each change dated and linked to the document that made it.

Some rules move slowly. The federal hours-of-service limits for truck drivers have not changed since a final rule published June 1, 2020; two pilot programs proposed in September 2025 were still seeking approval for their data collection in October 2026.1,2 Others change at the state level: since Dec. 11, 2025, Texas has applied the federal English-language-proficiency requirement to drivers who never cross state lines.3

Federal rule changes in 2026 have mostly loosened or simplified requirements. Since July 22, 2026, drivers no longer have to carry the electronic logging device user’s manual in the truck.4 Since Oct. 5, 2026, automatic hours-of-service relief during a regional emergency lasts up to 30 days, up from 14.5 The rule change timeline lists each change with its Federal Register or Texas Register citation, and the hours-of-service explainer sets out the driving limits in force.

Pages here explain what a rule requires, when it took effect, and what has been proposed or withdrawn, without legal advice.

Sources

Figures were read from the documents below and checked by Texas Mobility Outlook. Links go to the original publisher. Accessed October 2026 unless noted.

  1. eCFR, 49 CFR 395.3, Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles. Last amended 85 FR 33452, June 1, 2020.
  2. FMCSA, Federal Register, Agency Information Collection Activities; Hours of Service of Drivers (Split Duty Period pilot, 91 FR 63640), October 6, 2026.
  3. Texas Secretary of State, Texas Register, Adopted rules, 37 TAC § 4.12 (English language proficiency applies to intrastate drivers), December 5, 2025. Effective December 11, 2025.
  4. FMCSA, Federal Register, Rescinding the Requirement for Electronic Logging Device Operator's Manual Located in Commercial Motor Vehicles (91 FR 37050), June 22, 2026.
  5. FMCSA, Federal Register, Clarification to the Applicability of Emergency Exemptions (91 FR 63156), October 5, 2026.