Potential shift in direction for American transportation regulations?
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to update its five-year strategic plan for improving the nation's transportation system, with a particular focus on freight priorities, progress measurement, emerging challenges, and stakeholder value. The updated plan, scheduled for publication in February 2023, will cover fiscal years 2026–2030.
The current administration has indicated a shift in focus, with a stronger emphasis on addressing supply chain disruptions compared to the previous strategy under the first Trump administration. The updated national freight strategy includes addressing regulatory barriers to improving freight flow and the effects of emerging technology.
The DOT is inviting the public to provide input on four key questions:
- What strategies or priorities should DOT adopt to improve the nation’s transportation systems?
- How should DOT measure progress towards those priorities?
- What emerging challenges or opportunities require additional DOT activities, investments, research, or analysis?
- How can DOT best create value for its activities with stakeholders?
The public comment deadline is August 14, 2025. Input is sought from a broad range of stakeholders including truckers, carriers, shippers, public agencies, and others involved in freight transportation to address concerns such as bottlenecks, environmental issues, rural access, and workforce needs.
The focus of the NFSP update is on improving freight safety, security, resilience, infrastructure modernization, and investments in technology and workforce capabilities to boost performance and economic competitiveness. Emerging challenges include climate change, e-commerce growth, supply chain disruptions, and aging infrastructure.
To find details on public comment for the DOT’s five-year strategy update, you should refer to the DOT’s Request for Information (RFI) and related materials for the 2025 update to the National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP). The DOT has hosted a webinar introducing the NFSP update approach and how to provide feedback, including access to the webinar recording, slides, and transcript.
For official and comprehensive details, including how to submit comments, you can visit the U.S. DOT’s National Freight Strategic Plan page and review the Request for Information materials released in mid-2025. Comments must be submitted by August 14, 2025, to be considered in shaping the next five-year freight and transportation strategy.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced last month that the administration will not enforce diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies or climate goals when awarding infrastructure grants. This decision may have implications for the updated national freight strategy, although specific details have not been provided.
The Covid-19 pandemic has given freight goods movement a more prominent role in the current administration's strategy compared to the previous one. The role of freight in the economy and its potential for growth is likely to be a key focus of the updated national freight strategy.
- The updated National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP) will incorporate strategies on finance, as the administration will focus on improving investment in technology and workforce capabilities to boost economic competitiveness.
- In the updated NFSP, the issue of emerging technology's effects on freight flow and regulatory barriers will be addressed, aligning with the focus on education-and-self-development and general-news.
- The Sports sector may find a connection with the updated NFSP, as an increased emphasis on the role of freight in the economy and its potential for growth is likely to be a key focus, potentially impacting the efficiency of supply chain logistics for sports goods transportation.
