This emergency declaration allows motor carriers and drivers offering direct assistance in affected areas—including states like Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin—temporary relief from federal hours-of-service regulations governing maximum driving times.

Direct Assistance Explained

Under FMCSA’s guidance, “direct assistance” pertains to relief services and transportation operations crucial for the immediate restoration of essential supplies and services. For more details on restrictions and conditions for this emergency, you can access the FMCSA’s official announcement here.

Additional Fuel Emergencies in Other States

Several states, including North Dakota and Iowa, have independently declared fuel emergencies to address burgeoning supply concerns and regulatory challenges.

North Dakota Emergency Declaration

North Dakota recently issued a fuel emergency order, effective through March 18, citing propane and other petroleum product shortages caused by market fluctuations.

The order’s primary goal is to remove regulatory barriers to ensure that carriers and drivers can obtain, transport, and deliver petroleum-based products to customers, particularly those in residential areas. The declaration states, “The lack of adequate heating fuel poses an immediate risk to public health, safety, and welfare.”

However, direct assistance under this emergency declaration ends when drivers or vehicles transport cargo unrelated to relief efforts or provide unrelated services in interstate commerce.

Iowa Emergency Declaration

Iowa’s fuel emergency will remain active until February 28, with specific attention on rural areas where heating fuel supply constraints are particularly acute. Drivers transporting heating fuels are facing significant wait times at terminals, compounded by hazardous driving conditions.

To address these challenges, the state has temporarily suspended certain hours-of-service regulations. The objective is to increase the volume of fuel transported statewide while alleviating delays in access. According to the declaration, the suspension applies to those transporting key fuels, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, ethanol, biodiesel, and propane, for agricultural and commercial use.

Both declarations aim to ensure that residents, especially those in vulnerable or rural areas, can continue to access heating fuels during these critical winter months, safeguarding public health and safety. Keep checking for further updates on these and other ongoing emergency relief efforts.

Source: Land Line

The post FMCSA Extends Fuel Emergency Relief Until February 28 appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.

What the Declaration Covers

The emergency declaration provides temporary relief from maximum driving time requirements for motor carriers and drivers directly involved in delivering essential fuels. These include heating fuel, propane, natural gas, heating oil, gasoline, and diesel. The order applies to trucking operations across all 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia.

FMCSA clarifies that “direct assistance” refers to transportation and services directly tied to restoring essential supplies and services. However, it does not cover long-term infrastructure repairs or routine commercial shipments. For example, mixed cargo loads containing only a small quantity of qualifying emergency relief supplies are not eligible under this provision.

Conditions and Restrictions

Motor carriers or drivers under an existing out-of-service order are not permitted to operate under this emergency declaration unless they meet the necessary compliance requirements.

Once the emergency relief efforts are complete, carriers and drivers must adhere to standard hours-of-service regulations. However, drivers may return empty to their terminals or regular work-reporting locations. When transitioning from emergency operations back to standard commercial activities, a mandatory 10-hour rest period is required if total working hours—combining emergency relief and regular operations—reach or exceed 14 hours.

Additional State-Level Relief

While the FMCSA’s order serves as a national measure, individual states may offer additional relief for carriers and drivers. As of Tuesday, January 28, nine states have localized emergency declarations in place to support fuel transportation and other critical needs.

Source: Land Line

The post Emergency Fuel Relief Extended to February 15 – What Truckers Need to Know appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.