FMCSA grants 90-day hours waiver for fuel haulers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a 90-day hours-of-service waiver on September 16 for interstate drivers hauling gasoline and diesel. Under the waiver, the standard 11-hour driving limit within a 14-hour window is suspended — drivers may drive up to 16 hours within a 24-hour period.

Limits still apply: drivers must take a 6-hour consecutive break in a sleeper berth, carriers with conditional safety ratings or active out-of-service orders are excluded, and any crash must be reported to FMCSA within two business days. USDOT cited fuel supply disruptions and anticipated late-summer and fall demand.

Also on the rule desk

FMCSA began rulemaking to close an out-of-service loophole on drug possession, proposed making English-proficiency out-of-service orders permanent, and decertified a wave of noncompliant ELDs — each decertification forces affected carriers to switch systems or park trucks.