FMCSA renewed a company-specific exemption allowing Loomis Armored vehicles to use welded-shut original cab doors and two high-security doors behind the cab through October 13, 2031.
FMCSA published the final renewal decision on October 28
Federal Register document 2026-21950 grants Loomis Armored US, LLC a renewed five-year exemption from one part of the commercial-vehicle cab rule. The exemption is effective October 14, 2026 and expires October 13, 2031, subject to the conditions and early-termination provisions in the notice.
The ordinary rule requires cab doors to open readily
Section 393.203(a) says cab-compartment doors used as an entrance or exit may not be missing or broken, may not sag so they cannot be properly opened or closed and generally may not be wired shut or otherwise secured closed so they cannot be readily opened. The Loomis decision is a narrow exception to that provision, not a rewrite of the rule.
The exemption covers a specialized security configuration
FMCSA permits Loomis to weld shut the original driver and passenger cab doors and install two high-security doors behind the cab. The notice describes an emergency escape hatch behind the driver's seat and a messenger exterior door behind the front passenger's seat as part of the modified access design.
The replacement doors use security and emergency controls
FMCSA says the relocated doors are biometric-enabled and include an override system for a loss of power that can be accessed by personnel from inside. Loomis personnel are trained in the armored-vehicle systems, including operation of the replacement doors during a rollover.
FMCSA found an equivalent or greater level of safety
The agency concluded that the renewed configuration is likely to achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than compliance without the exemption. FMCSA cited the reduced possibility of unauthorized entry, the alternate doors, emergency escape hatch, internal override and employee training.
The original exemption began in 2021
FMCSA granted the initial five-year exemption on October 18, 2021. In the renewal decision, the agency said it had not become aware of safety concerns involving armored vehicles operating under the exemption during that period. That finding concerns this configuration and record; it is not a general approval of welded-shut cab doors.
The exemption applies only to Loomis-operated CMVs
The notice expressly limits the relief to commercial motor vehicles operated by Loomis Armored US, LLC, USDOT 252201. It does not cover another armored-car operator, a contractor using similar equipment or a fleet that copies the door arrangement. Other operators would need to comply with the rule or obtain their own applicable authority.
No additional modifications are authorized
Loomis may weld shut the cab doors and add the two new doors behind the cab. FMCSA states that no further vehicle modifications are covered. The company must comply with all other applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in 49 CFR parts 350 through 399.
FMCSA considered two public comments
The renewal docket received one comment supporting the application and one opposing it. The opposing commenter questioned interstate applicability, glazing and state requirements and supplied inspection-history information. FMCSA responded that Loomis is an interstate motor carrier operating nationwide and that the cited violations did not relate to the exemption.
The decision does not waive glazing or unrelated safety rules
FMCSA treated questions about glazing and other state requirements as outside the scope of this specific application. The exemption only addresses 49 CFR 393.203(a) for the described doors. Maintenance, inspection, glazing, brakes, lighting, driver qualification and every other applicable requirement remain separate compliance duties.
Federal preemption is limited to the exemption's scope
During the effective period, states may not enforce a conflicting or inconsistent requirement applicable to interstate commerce against a firm or person operating under this exemption. States may, but are not required to, adopt the same exemption for intrastate operations. The notice therefore does not automatically authorize the configuration in every purely intrastate setting.
FMCSA can revoke the exemption before 2031
The agency will revoke the exemption if Loomis fails to comply with its terms, if the exemption produces a lower safety level than existed before it was granted or if continued relief conflicts with the statutory safety goals. The listed expiration date is not a guarantee when a termination condition occurs.
Primary-source note
This report is based on FMCSA Federal Register document 2026-21950, published October 28, 2026, and the current text of 49 CFR 393.203. The decision is final and company-specific. It does not legalize welded-shut cab doors for the trucking industry generally or excuse any Loomis vehicle from unrelated federal or state requirements.
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Official sources
FMCSA: final Loomis exemption renewal, document 2026-21950Federal Register public-inspection PDF, document 2026-2195049 CFR 393.203: Cab and body componentsFMCSA Exemptions indexCDL Truck Pro provides educational information. Confirm licensing, safety, tax, and regulatory requirements through current official sources and qualified professionals.