Inflation drives up DOT fines for regs violations

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Inflation is being blamed for yet another increase in the fines levied by the federal government for violations of trucking regulkations.

For the second time this year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, along with other Department of Transportation agencies, is updating fines for violations of federal trucking regulations. The DOT didn’t issue the 2020 update until January 2021.

The updated fines for violations can be seen here.

DOT is required by law to adjust fine amounts each year based on inflation.

A final rule that published in the Federal Register Monday, May 3, made the new fine amounts effective immediately.

The DOT, to find the 2021 adjustment amount, had to multiply the penalty amount by the percentage change between the October 2020 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the October 2019 CPI-U, which for 2021 was 1.01182. Given this multiplier, all of the fine amounts increased.