The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced an extension and further modification to the Covid-19 Emergency Declaration. The FMCSA’s Emergency Declaration that was set to expire on May 31 has been extended through August 31, 2022.
The declaration was also modified to include 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
- Gasoline, diesel, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), jet fuel, ethyl alcohol and heating fuel (including propane, natural gas, and heating oil)
As with the previous extension, this declaration applies only to 395.3 “Maximum Driving Time for Property-Carrying Vehicles”. This modified declaration will remain in effect until August 31, 2022, unless terminated sooner by FMCSA.
FMCSA has also added FAQs addressing declaration.
ALSO, FMCSA has updated the popular Interstate Truck Driver’s Guide to Hours of Service (HOS). This popular guide has not been updated since 2016, and now contains the new 2020 HOS revisions. While this is only a guidance document, and does not have the force and full effect of law, it is a great resource for understanding the various HOS rules and exemptions.
This guidance includes changes to the following four HOS provisions that went into effect on September 29, 2020:
- Short-haul exception
- Adverse driving conditions exception
- 30-minute rest break requirements
- Sleeper berth provision
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