The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is expanding its emergency hours-of-service (HOS) waiver to include carriers transporting COVID-19 vaccines.
In a notice issued late Tuesday, the FMCSA also announced it is modifying the most recent extension of the HOS waiver — which had been scheduled to expire on Dec. 31 — to expire instead on Feb. 28, 2021, unless the COVID-19 national emergency is revoked sooner.
“This expansion and extension of the modified Emergency Declaration addresses national emergency conditions that create a need for immediate transportation of essential supplies, and provides necessary relief from the [regulations] for motor carriers and drivers,” today’s notice states.
The exemption continues to cover parts 390 to 399 of the federal motor carrier regulations for the 50 states and District of Columbia which, in addition to HOS, include inspection and maintenance of commercial vehicles, employee safety, and parking rules. Details can be viewed here.
The current exemption provides regulatory relief limited to the transportation of:
- Livestock and livestock feed.
- Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.
- Vaccines, constituent products, and medical supplies and equipment including ancillary supplies/kits for the administration of vaccines, related to the prevention of COVID-19.
- Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants.
- Food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores.
As with all previous HOS waivers in response to the pandemic, direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads “with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration,” FMCSA stated.
Billy Goodrich
I think this is great I’ve been hauling produce fresh that is for 47 yes and it’s nice to see my consistency has finally paid off. To be part of the supply line in this virus and knowing it helps feed people and jobs are saved I feel I have done something for my country
A kid who wanted to truck when he was little now he spends his time in closed down truck stops waiting to drive more than he drives.
Just get rid of the hos already. Get rid of elogs while your at it.
Nik
There is no covid vaccine except russian SPUTNIK. As you understand there’s no sputnik here and one that is in research is based on matrix technology that only animal vaccine was produced. This will be the first one for human. They’ll test it on you.
johnathon bryant
Funny thing is prime inc wont let its drivers use the hos exemption, even if your a (independent contractor).
Kevin Cooley
That got messed up it’s okay to run over your hours for the government but not for yourself so if your company is going out of business and you need to run some extra hours or whatever the case maybe you can’t run those extra hours I hope you dumb bastards don’t fall for that crap homebody
Kevin Cooley
I hope you dumb bastards don’t fall for this b******* it’s okay. To change your hours when it benefits the government but it is to try to get yourself out of nothing going going out of business you can’t those extra hours
Kevin
I hope you dumb bastards don’t fall for this b******* it’s okay. To change your hours when it benefits the government but it is to try to get yourself out of nothing going going out of business you can’t those extra hours
Geoff C
It’s amazing how the HOS rules don’t apply when we are really needed. Thankyou master (FMCSA)