The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is set to extend the hours-of-service exemption for a trucking company, WestRock, operating a route under 300 feet. The renewal applies to short-haul drivers at WestRock’s facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., and could last for five years, pending FMCSA’s review of comments.
WestRock, operating a paper mill in Chattanooga, necessitates truck drivers to travel on a public road, Compress Street, spanning approximately 275 feet, between its manufacturing facility and shipping/receiving docks. This route, though short, is considered interstate travel due to the cargo’s destinations. The exemption is crucial for WestRock, as without it, there would be a logistical challenge of at least two hours in which trailers couldn’t be loaded or transported, impacting on-time deliveries.
Under the exemption, WestRock’s drivers would be allowed to work up to 16 consecutive hours, and the mandatory 10 hours off duty could be bypassed. The exemption is proposed to be effective from April 17 to April 16, 2029. FMCSA, in its evaluation, deems WestRock’s driving operations under the exemption conditions to maintain safety levels equivalent to or greater than those without the exemption.
This isn’t the first time WestRock has sought such an exemption; it has operated under similar waivers since May 2012, with renewals in April 2014, July 2016, and July 2019. The current waiver, granted in 2019, is set to expire on April 16.
FMCSA invites public comments on WestRock’s hours-of-service exemption request. Interested parties can provide feedback within 30 days of Jan. 19 on Regulations.gov using Docket No. FMCSA-2010-0027.
Source: Land Line
