Emergency Declaration Extended for Truckers, But How Many Fleets are Taking Advantage?

Truckers Keep on Truckin' During Coronavirus

As the United States continues to try and slow the spread of the disease caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus, there's no question that the trucking industry has had to face a challenging environment. Between uncertain truck stop situations, closed restaurants, limited hot food options, and regulations that change frequently, the nation's 3.5 million professional truckers have had a lot to keep up with in addition to t rying to keep themselves and their families safe.

With the economy starting to open back up in some states, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) has also made some new decisions regarding trucker Hours of Service.

Emergency Declaration Extended for Trucker Hours Of Service

To recap the Hours of Service regulation changes for truckers, let's go back to March 13^th when President Trump issued a national emergency due to Coronavirus. This resulted in the FMCSA putting a declaration in place relaxing the Hours of Service requirements and other regulations for truck drivers who were transporting direct relief loads for COVID-19.

That declaration has since been expanded twice and was most recently set to expire on May 15^th, but as the nation continues to actively battle Coronavirus in each state, that declaration has now been extended through June 14^th. It grants exemption from Parts 390 through 399 of the FMCSA Regulations either through June 14^th or until the presidentially declared national emergency is revoked.

As a reminder, drivers who qualify as being part of Coronavirus direct assistance are those who are transporting/meeting immediate needs for:

• Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19
• Equipment and supplies necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of the virus such as hand sanitizer, masks, soap, and disinfectants
• Fuel
• Raw materials such as paper, plastic, or alcohol that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items mentioned above
• Equipment, supplies, or persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing, quarantine, and isolation facilities for COVID-19
• Food, paper products, and groceries for the emergency restocking of stores or distribution centers

The FMCSA has stipulated that routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a minimal quantity of qualifying goods, are not covered under the emergency declaration.

Fleet and Industry Leadership React to Hours of Service Changes

Although this emergency declaration gives all qualifying fleets permission to relax Hours of Service for their drivers, a recent survey conducted by Heavy Duty Trucking found that of the participating fleets:

• Only 5 percent of fleets were "extensively" taking advantage of the declaration exemptions for their drivers
• 27 percent were using it on a limited basis
• 26 percent were not using it at all
• 42 percent did not qualify for the exemptions

In an interview with Heavy Duty Trucking, the CEO of transportation and logistics company Werner Enterprises, Derek Leathers, specified that while his company has transported "roughly a handful" of qualifying goods out of 3 million miles a day, "…as a general rule, we would like our drivers to be within the normalized hours of service with proper rest."

The CDC also stipulates in their "What Long-Haul Drivers Need to Know" guidelines that in order to maintain healthy business operations, driver routes should be scheduled to "allow for adequate sleep, and use fatigue management strategies." The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents the interests of unionized truck drivers, has also previously spoken out against the relaxed FMCSA regulations, saying that, "extending the work day to 14 hours for CDL-qualified short-haul drivers will result in an increase in occupational injuries and driver fatigue."

We Are Here For You

We're proud to be part of the backbone of America, and whether you're a long-haul trucking company trying to keep up with today's ever-changing situation or if you're a vocational driver who's just experiencing business as usual, we are here to make sure your truck or fleet stays up and running as we continue this long journey through Coronavirus together.

Our customer service is still actively supporting customers remotely, and our parts distribution centers remain operational at standard business hours and capacity. Our e-commerce website is also open 24/7/365 to help you get what you need so you can get back on the road and stay there until the job is done. Whether it's a specific brand, part category, or part number you're looking for, we can help you find what you need, when you need it.

We are still here for you – let's do this together.