The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced that they will be extending truck drivers’ HOS exemption for emergency relief supplies until at least the end of the calendar year.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic’s arrival in the U.S., FMCSA suspended hours of service regulations as part of an expanded emergency declaration. To help combat the national emergency declared by the president, truck drivers hauling supplies related to recovery efforts would be exempted from all HOS requirements for the duration of their qualifying load.
This is common following natural disasters and other emergencies, but this exemption covers a lot more than normal. Medical supplies, personal protective equipment (ppe), food, groceries, and precursor materials for all of the above.
The exemption has also lasted for much longer than normal. So far it has been extended only one month at a time. Apparently the FMCSA has finally admitted that the circumstances aren’t going to change any time soon, and have now extended the HOS exemption through the end of the year. It is still worded in a way that it will end earlier if the president declares an end to the national emergency.
Truckers are exempt from HOS rules while they are hauling loads containing:
- Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment 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 restocking of distribution centers or stores;
- Immediate precursor raw materials-such as paper, plastic or alcohol-that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items in categories (1), (2) or (3);
As usual, loads are not exempt when they are part of routine deliveries or when they contain only a small amount of qualifying items included to benefit from the exemption.
Source: truckinginfo, fleetowner, overdrive, freightwaves
How many accidents, deaths, etc, since this covid con game caused the feds to loosen HOS rules? Has there been an increase?
If not, maybe they need to permanently restructure the rules, and let us just do our job! Maybe we need to be trusted to do our job, and not be seen as dangerous, road rage killers! Any excessive “cowboy” or “outlaw” 🤣 truckers can be dealt with, and made examples of! Let these HOS regulations that have been loosened up, be the testing period, then when this covid con game blows by, keep the shackles off us!
Some of those drivers you are referring to, can read and write 100 times better than you. And they know how, and where to use comma’s. And guess what?! They drive better too!
Wow, racism alert
And is funny, because you can’t even write English the proper way, lol
Sept 30 there is new rules that are in favor of the driver
There not in favor of the driver. What would be in favor of the driver is letting us run how we see fit.
Exactly! I run more miles per week than ever. All while being less stressed, we’ll rested because I Drive when I am awake and alert and sleep when I get tired. Not when a computer tells me to.
Agree 100% I dont need a baby sitter. When imbtired i stop and sleep. When ok i drive. Very simple.
We have these rules because a lot of driver will not say NO to unsafe practices. You have lost your mind if you think this is a good thing. This was only done so big business can make more money.
no thank you. if you cant make a living working 70 in 8 maybe there is something wrong with how you are paid.
10-4 on that.
What con game
Did he REALLY say con game? I wonder if he feels like, NOT SEEING those TAX RETURNS for over 4 years was the REAL con game? Then, ask the family of over 205,000 loved ones who are no longer here, if they feel like Covid 19 was just a “con game”!
o thank you so much dot. Can I really worker longer ad harder now? Oh, thank you so much! This is really a gift to me that I should be sooooo thankful for! I mean after all, im only looking to service my customers and my company so this helps sooo much. And when I needed it two years ago and couldn’t get any relief, well I deserved that! I should never benefit from DOT rules personally, it should only be used so I can better service my masters!
Then quit
DOES THIS INCLUDE DRIVING MORE THAN 11? OR JUST 14 HR CLOCK?
Driving is ok past 11 and 14 but after making delivery you must rest for 10
It means your exempt from the HOS
It means your exempt but once load is completed you must take a mandatory 10 hr break
You failed to mention livestock and livestock feed are also exempt.
Is that mean driver can still use paper log?
Is milk and cream exempt to I haul bulk tanker loads
Yes, because that’s an ingredient for production of food. Just as long as your carrier is OK with it. A lot of the mega carriers are not allowing their drivers to do this. Luckily for me my carrier isn’t one of them (not even a mega, only about 250 trucks) and most of our loads are food products so we get to run unlimited.
My only issue is that some brokers are taking advantage and scheduling appointments to close, to the point that I have to space bathroom breaks further apart and not able to get 10 hours of break time between shifts. Tql is one of them.
Is Milk or Cream used for Food or Groceries?? Answer your own question.
You understand what precursors for making food are?
Rite on. Most of the accidents are from the foreign market drivers they brot in for the large companys you no those ones that cant read english.
you must be one of them based on you spelling and grammar.
You are a functional illiterate
The super truckers will love this. Their dream come true driving and working 24 hours a day. So instead of dreaming about trucks and rubbing one out in the sleeper to trucking movies they can live the dream! Trucks trucks trucks no life. God I’m glad I’m not in this s hit anymore have fun
We ate glad your out too. That makes you a troll. Hitching to be bitching
We are out here to make money. Not hang out in the sleeper 10 hours with a lizard. Of course we want to run.
Still log on eld but go personal con. But log in comment. Cya. It still all up to the interpretation of the dot officer whether to put you out of service. But ill all for it. Should suspend permanently.
Well I am guessing that produce is considered food???
Just so you all know, you only have to take a 10 hour break after delivery of load if the next one is not exempt. If it is, you can continue running.
Stay safe, let’s prove to the fmcsa that we don’t need strict hos to be safe.
I have hauled a few of those loads and all I got was harassment at the scales and the officers interpretation of deamed essential load…not to mention a letter from FMCSA that my safety score would be raised from 27 to 73 for a 100 percent inspection rate. (thanks Oregon)WHAT B.S.!!!!
I think they should just bring back paper logs no driver wants to drive more than 11 hour anyway
Autonomous vehicles/AI technology will soon be replacing a lot of drivers income so plan ahead and be proactive by doing the right thing with your money. What’s your plan B. The robots are coming.
No, man, they aren’t. Such a thing would require massive roadside infrastucture…EVERYWHERE. There is no money for that in public and private sectors combined. The basic tech is here, but extensive practical use is nowhere close to happening without above mentioned infrastructure.
Guys, this is so simple. If you PLAN on having an independent financial future, you’d better start LOADING UP on the money, right now! Just run like you are CRAZY, and SAVE like your kid’s life depends on it. I easily do 15,000+ miles monthly running solo, by mostly hauling produce and other reefer stuff. Now, without the baby monitor or a logbook controlling me, I get more QUALITY REST than ever. I run non-stop during the day, as long as I am alert and awake. I mostly take 2 hour NAPS during the afternoon, and SLEEP from 11pm every night until whenever my body tells me it is time to WAKE the “F” UP….To start doing it, all over again! $$$$$ Most of the time, for weeks and months, I have no idea how much money is simply STACKING UP within my bank account! $$$$