Quick Answer: The BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870) is a five-year, $580 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill released by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 17, 2026. For trucking, it is one of the most consequential bills in years — it tightens ELD certification, hands FMCSA new power to block fraudulent carriers and brokers at registration, targets predatory lease-purchase programs, creates the first federal framework for autonomous trucks, funds new truck parking, and adds new EV registration fees. It is still a draft moving through committee, not yet law.
In this guide:
- What the BUILD America 250 Act actually is, and where it stands right now
- The trucking provisions that matter most for small fleets and owner-operators
- What each change means in plain English — and what to do about it
- The realistic timeline for when (and whether) this becomes law
- A practical checklist to get your operation ready
What Is the BUILD America 250 Act?
The BUILD America 250 Act — formally the “Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th Act” — is the U.S. House’s proposed five-year surface transportation reauthorization. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unveiled the draft text on Sunday, May 17, 2026, and the legislation runs to roughly 1,005 pages.
It is a bipartisan effort, introduced by Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer (R-N.C.). The bill authorizes about $580 billion across roads, bridges, transit, rail, and — critically for our industry — highway and motor carrier safety programs.
The bill exists because the current transportation law, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, expires on September 30, 2026. Congress has to pass a replacement, and the BUILD America 250 Act is the House’s opening offer. To shape it, the Committee spent roughly a year and a half holding hearings and collecting input — more than 11,000 individual policy requests were submitted.
Why a trucking software company is writing about a highway bill: because at least two dozen provisions in this draft directly change how carriers register, log hours, qualify drivers, get paid, and prove compliance. If you run a fleet, this bill is not background noise. It is your next two years of operating reality.
Important: As of publication, this is a draft bill at the committee markup stage. It is not law. Provisions can change, get stripped, or get added before any final vote. Treat this article as a briefing on what is proposed — not as a description of current regulation. Nothing here is legal advice.
Where the Bill Stands Right Now
Here is the honest status, because a lot of online coverage blurs this:
- Draft text released — May 17–18, 2026. ✅ Done.
- Committee markup — the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee began marking up the bill on May 21, 2026. This is where amendments get debated. 🟡 In progress.
- Full House vote — still ahead.
- Senate — the Senate is writing its own reauthorization bill. The two chambers will have to reconcile differences.
- President’s signature — committee leaders say the goal is to get a final bill signed before the September 30, 2026 deadline.
Translation: the trucking provisions below are likely directional — they tell you where federal policy is heading — but the specific dollar figures and rule details can still shift.
The Trucking Provisions That Matter Most
We have grouped the most relevant provisions for small-to-mid-sized carriers and owner-operators into six themes.
1. ELD Certification Gets a Real Crackdown
This is the provision closest to home for any fleet running electronic logging devices. The draft builds on FMCSA’s recent purge of self-certified ELD providers from its registry — and several ELD brands have already been revoked.
Under the bill, the Department of Transportation would have to:
- Verify the contact information of every ELD certification applicant
- Verify the technical specifications of the proposed device
- Cross-reference each application against the list of already-revoked ELDs
What it means for you: the era of “self-certified, trust-us” ELD vendors is ending. If your ELD provider gets revoked, your logs can be ruled invalid and your trucks can be placed out of service — and enforcement is already active. Oregon DOT recently put hundreds of ELD-cheat units out of service in a single sweep.
What to do: confirm your ELD is FMCSA-registered and that your vendor is established and compliant. We covered the broader shift in how ELD compliance has changed in 2026. If you are evaluating providers, prioritize a platform with a track record and tight integration into your TMS so HOS data flows straight into dispatch.
2. The Fraud and Registration Crackdown
Freight fraud, double-brokering, and “chameleon carriers” have become an industry-wide crisis. The bill goes after them at the point of registration.
Principal Place of Business (PPOB). Today, FMCSA generally can only act after a bad actor is already registered. The draft would let the agency withhold registration up front from any applicant that fails to provide a valid principal place of business. Crucially, the PPOB requirement would be codified and extended to brokers and freight forwarders, not just motor carriers.
Common-ownership disclosure. Carriers already have to disclose common ownership with other registered entities. The bill extends that disclosure requirement to brokers and freight forwarders too — so if FMCSA spots a web of linked fraudulent actors, it can pull operating authority across the whole network.
Broker qualifications. The DOT would have to issue a final rule setting experience and qualification requirements for the officers of freight brokers and freight forwarders.
Cargo theft and freight fraud committee. The bill directs DOT to seat an advisory committee of up to 20 members — law enforcement, freight industry representatives, and cybersecurity professionals — to recommend ways to fight cargo theft and freight fraud, with reports to Congress every two years.
What it means for you: this is broadly good news for legitimate small carriers. The bad actors who undercut your rates and steal loads get harder to register and easier to shut down. But it also means your own paperwork has to be clean — a vague or virtual “principal place of business” could become a registration problem. If freight fraud is on your radar, our freight fraud survival guide for small carriers walks through the defensive playbook.
3. Predatory Lease-Purchase Programs Get Targeted
The draft directs DOT to issue a rulemaking prohibiting “predatory” lease-purchase programs — arrangements where a motor carrier controls a driver’s work, pay, and debt in a way that leaves the driver with no real equity in the truck.
Carriers that use leased vehicles would have to provide a standardized disclosure form to every party in the agreement, using a DOT-provided template. The disclosure would have to spell out weekly driver compensation, average mileage and schedule, average settlement deductions, and more. The bill also funds a public awareness campaign explaining how legitimate lease-purchase programs work versus predatory ones.
What it means for you: if you run an honest lease-purchase or owner-operator program, expect new disclosure paperwork — but the rule is aimed at the abusive operators, not the fair ones. Transparency in driver settlements becomes a compliance requirement, not just good practice.
4. Driver Quality, Entry Standards, and DataQs
Several provisions reshape how drivers and new carriers enter and stay in the industry:
- New entrant standards. A rulemaking committee would assess whether to set minimum knowledge requirements for motor carriers registering with DOT. The New Entrant Safety Assurance Program would also be reviewed by the DOT Inspector General.
- DataQs appeals. Carriers would be able to access safety records for current and prospective drivers. Contested serious violations would have to be flagged as “under contest” in federal databases, and states and federal agencies would have to build an appeals process — adjudicated by someone other than the original issuing authority.
- “Beyond compliance.” The bill revives a 2015 FAST Act idea: a system that credits carriers who go above baseline compliance, recognizing driver training and experience as a safety standard.
- CDL flexibility. States could administer CDL skills tests to applicants regardless of home state, and certified third-party examiners could administer the knowledge test.
- Non-compliant CDL training providers would be removable from the Training Provider Registry within 90 days of a substantiated complaint.
What it means for you: if you run a safe, well-documented operation, these changes tilt the field in your favor — “beyond compliance” could finally turn your safety record into a competitive and insurance advantage. The flip side: data accuracy matters more than ever. A serious violation that should have been contested but wasn’t will follow your drivers. Timely, thorough DataQs filings become essential.
5. Driver Quality-of-Life Wins
A few provisions are simply good news for drivers:
- Restroom access. Shippers and receivers would be required to give truck drivers restroom access during pickup and delivery. Marine terminals would have to provide adequate, accessible restrooms for drayage drivers.
- Truck parking. The bill creates a competitive grant program for public truck parking, improving on Jason’s Law. Projects must be on or near a federal-aid highway and are only eligible where DOT confirms a parking shortage in that corridor.
- Under-21 apprenticeship. The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program for under-21 interstate drivers would be extended through 2031.
- Livestock hauler relief. Livestock haulers would get a codified exemption from ELD and federal hours-of-service requirements within a 150 air-mile radius of the livestock’s final destination.
What it means for you: parking and restroom provisions help with driver recruitment and retention — real costs in a tight labor market. The under-21 extension keeps a recruiting pipeline open for fleets willing to use it.
6. Autonomous Trucks and New Costs to Watch
Autonomous trucks. The bill creates the first federal safety framework for commercial vehicles equipped with automated driving systems (ADS) operating in interstate commerce. Manufacturers would have to meet applicable regulations, demonstrate a “safety case,” and follow incident-reporting rules. Notably, a human operator would still be required in the vehicle when hauling placarded hazardous materials or transporting minors. The draft also removes an older rule that effectively blocked driverless trucks by requiring a human to physically place warning beacons.
EV registration fees. To keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent as fuel-tax revenue declines, states would collect annual EV registration fees — starting at $130 for a full electric vehicle and $35 for a plug-in hybrid, rising every two years from 2029 (up to $150 and $50 respectively).
Weight variances. Vehicles hauling dry bulk goods would get a 10% axle weight variance, with several additional state-specific weight permits in the draft.
What it means for you: autonomous trucks remain a longer-horizon issue for most small fleets, but the regulatory runway is now being built. If you operate or plan to operate EVs, budget for the new registration fees.
What Small Carriers Should Do Now
You cannot control whether this bill passes. You can make sure that if it does, none of it catches you off guard. A practical checklist:
- Verify your ELD provider. Confirm it is FMCSA-registered and not at risk of revocation. If you are unsure, that uncertainty is your answer — start evaluating alternatives.
- Audit your registration details. Make sure your principal place of business is a real, valid, documentable address. Disclose common ownership accurately.
- Clean up your DataQs. Review your drivers’ records. Contest serious violations promptly and thoroughly — do not let an incorrect record stand.
- Tighten settlement transparency. If you run any lease or owner-operator program, get your compensation, mileage, and deduction disclosures clear and in writing now.
- Treat your safety record as an asset. If “beyond compliance” becomes law, a strong, well-documented safety record could lower insurance costs and win freight. Build the documentation habit today.
- Centralize your compliance data. Most of these provisions reward carriers who can produce accurate records on demand. A connected transportation management system that ties ELD, driver files, and load data together turns “scramble for paperwork” into a two-click report.
For a wider view of the software that supports all of this, see our guide to the 2026 trucking tech stack.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BUILD America 250 Act? It is a proposed five-year, $580 billion U.S. surface transportation reauthorization bill (H.R. 8870), released by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 17, 2026. It funds roads, bridges, transit, and rail, and includes dozens of trucking and highway safety provisions.
Is the BUILD America 250 Act law yet? No. As of May 2026 it is a draft bill at the committee markup stage. It still needs to pass the full House, be reconciled with a Senate bill, and be signed by the President. Committee leaders aim to finish before the current law expires on September 30, 2026.
How does the BUILD America 250 Act affect ELDs? It directs DOT to verify ELD certification applicants more rigorously — checking contact information and technical specs, and cross-referencing against revoked devices. The goal is to remove non-compliant ELDs from the market.
What does the bill do about freight fraud? It lets FMCSA withhold registration from applicants without a valid principal place of business, extends that requirement to brokers and freight forwarders, expands common-ownership disclosure, and creates a cargo theft and freight fraud advisory committee.
Does the bill ban lease-purchase programs? No — it targets predatory lease-purchase programs specifically. It directs DOT to write a rule prohibiting abusive arrangements and requires standardized disclosure forms for all lease-purchase agreements.
Does the BUILD America 250 Act allow driverless trucks? It creates the first federal safety framework for autonomous commercial vehicles in interstate commerce, with safety-case and reporting requirements. A human operator would still be required for hauling placarded hazmat or transporting minors.
Will the bill raise costs for carriers? For most carriers, the main new cost is administrative — disclosure and documentation. Carriers operating electric vehicles would also face new state EV registration fees, starting at $130 per EV.
When will the BUILD America 250 Act take effect? If passed, it would replace the current transportation law that expires September 30, 2026. Individual provisions would phase in through DOT and FMCSA rulemakings over the following months and years.
The Bottom Line
For legitimate small carriers and owner-operators, the BUILD America 250 Act is, on balance, a bill that works for you. It goes after the fraud, the chameleon carriers, the ELD cheats, and the predatory operators who have been undercutting honest businesses for years. The cost of admission is documentation: clean registration, valid ELDs, accurate driver records, transparent settlements.
That is exactly the kind of operation a modern, connected software stack is built to run. The carriers who treat compliance as a data problem — not a paperwork problem — will be the ones who barely notice when these rules take effect.
We will update this article as the bill moves through markup and toward a floor vote.
Sources and References
- U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee — BUILD America 250 Act draft text and committee statements (May 2026)
- Overdrive — coverage of the highway bill’s trucking provisions, May 18–20, 2026
- Truck News — “Draft of new highway bill includes key trucking safety measures,” May 18, 2026
- Agri-Pulse — “U.S. House panel unveils $580B surface transportation plan,” May 2026
- Holland & Knight — legal analysis of the BUILD America 250 Act, May 2026
- National Association of Counties; National League of Cities — committee summaries, May 2026
For the official bill text and status, consult congress.gov (H.R. 8870) and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
About TenTrucks
TenTrucks is an AI-powered fleet operations platform built for owner-operators and small-to-mid-sized carriers. The all-in-one system unifies dispatch and TMS, FMCSA-registered ELD and compliance, billing, and tracking — so the documentation that bills like this one demand is always one report away. See how TenTrucks works →
