The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) late February 12 extended the Hours-of-Service waiver through May 31. The HOS waiver had been set to expire on Feb. 28. The agency said that it expects this to be the fourth and final extension of the waiver. The national exemption to the HOS rules for truck drivers and carriers hauling COVID-19 relief was first issued on March 12, 2020, in response to the national emergency declared by President Donald Trump.
The extension of the expanded modified Emergency Declaration provides regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts related to COVID-19 and is limited to transportation of:
(1) livestock and livestock feed;
(2) medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19;
(3) vaccines, constituent products, and medical supplies and equipment including ancillary supplies/kits for the administration of vaccines, related to the prevention of COVID-19;
(4) 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; and
(5) food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores.
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.
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