Contractors worried about added costs being passed along to the carrier would like to think that will happen. Let's see what the market will bear when you tell a Class 1, 2 or 3 carrier that your weed spraying truck service is going to cost them more because you need to go to school and learn new rules, then update your truck with modern safety appliances/telecommunications. Think they'll pay that?

Reading what the actual physical cost challenges are and addressing the issue proactiviely might be a good first step. That probably means taking personal time to read and understand what the guidelines will be and how they apply to your vended service. It is likely not a significant cost in money, if you are already a professional and take your service seriously, but I am certain it will be a significant cost of your personal time getting up to speed.

"Running a train" [weed sprayer/ballast regulator/boom truck] with your already owned/leased tooling and equipment "by their rules and the government's regs" [new regulation to you, but not to everyone else] probably means little more than what is already being done countless times a day across the system. You'll just need to step up to the plate. You think I like doing a re-cert every year and the simulator every other year? It's part of the game. Deal with it.

It's also a possibilty that it will be a tiered approach, with perhaps a chance that many contracting companies could be eligible for grandfathering like Conductors will be this April.

In the event that I am wrong, and the costs are staggering and you might have to file for Chapter 11 protection, then all I can say is that's the way the cookie crumbles. This is an old, old problem in an industrial society which is oversought by politicians. Get over it, get on board, or go do something else. Cutthroat competition run by the Good 'ol Boy network will certainly prevent the little guy from passing on diddly squat to the carrier.