News Alert

Many theories exist about why people rush to purchase perishable items in anticipation of a severe storm. Regardless of the reason for the demand, two industry associations are currently attempting to alleviate the shortage in supply before a storm. The American Bakers Association (ABA) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) have filed a joint application with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requesting an exemption from the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations for drivers delivering items, such as milk and bread, to areas anticipating an impact from natural disasters and extreme weather events.

The ABA/IDFA requested a five year exemption from 49 CFR Part 395 for drivers to extend their hours in order to deliver these food items as communities prepare for such events. The applicants state that the exemption would achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved without the proposed exemption.

This year the FMCSA has received multiple HOS exemption requests, as well as Electronic Logging Device (ELD) exemption requests, after the ELD mandate went into effect on December 18, 2017. The ELD mandate has brought to the forefront multiple issues with the current HOS regulations, which has lead the FMCSA to begin reforming the current rules.

The FMCSA is requesting public comments on the ABA/IDFA’s exemption request here. For more information, contact your TCS Compliance Specialist or call us at 877-268-7347.