Is lumber transportation essential?

It could be, however, you'd have to prove that to some DOT officers who are still putting drivers OOS for not having certain "stamps" on the BOLs and other strange requirements. Of course you may be able to appeal and remove the OOS eventually, but who wants to go through that?

 

All trucking is essential. Some commodities allowed you to, for the most part, ignore the hours of service.

 

I'll probably get this thread shut down for this, but where did you come up with this nonsense?! All of us flatbedders have gone over scales empty, and the scale master should have come out, right then and slapped an oos sticker on the truck right then and there! OMG, where do you guys make up nonsense like this?

 

Lumber ? Seriously ? Do ppl eat wood ?

 

Lunch counter conversations?

Back on topic...if your load is considered essential under a disaster declaration the shipper will usually know about it and will let you know. You'll usually get a copy of the declaration notice along with your paperwork.
An HOS exemption is valid only for the actual disaster and almost always comes with a definite time line and geographic area.
That's the way it works for us on the wildland fires, anyway.
Don't fall for a shipper trying to tell you a load is essential if they or your company can't document it.

 

Nothing I haul is exempt from hos. Just another cog in making that exempt product. That doesn't mean it's not essential. I'm currently hauling liner for landfill.