FMCSA Set to Propose Important Hours of Service Reform Regulations

PMAA submitted written comments last week on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposed changes to CDL driver hours of service requirements. The FMCSA changes are designed to provide regulatory relief to motor carriers and CDL drivers. PMAA worked closely with the FMCSA on the rulemaking from its initial conception back in 2017 and was successful in having several key changes added to the proposed rule. The four important changes in the proposed rule that are important to petroleum marketers include:

• Expand the current 100 air-mile radius limitation in the short-haul driver exception to recording daily to 150 air-mile radius.
• Extend the 12-hour daily maximum on-duty period for CDL drivers operating under the short haul exception to a maximum 14 hours on-duty.
• Add two hours onto the 14- hour daily maximum on-duty status for CDL drivers operating under the adverse weather exception. The adverse weather exception currently extends the 11-hour maximum daily driving limit by 2-hours due to bad weather but does add 2 hours onto the 14-hour maximum daily on-duty time to accommodate for the longer driving time.
• Allow CDL drivers to interrupt the clock on their 14-hour maximum daily on-duty time for up to 3 hours, for loading and unloading activities, provided the driver goes off-duty for the length of the interruption and takes 10 consecutive hours off at the end of the work shift.

PMAA told the FMCSA that it supports the proposed changes and requested that the break in on-duty time for up to three hours apply to CDL drivers who are required to remain on-duty during waiting periods at petroleum terminals. The changes are expected to add flexibility to driver scheduling and provide some relief to the chronic shortage of qualified CDL drivers. The final rule is expected to be published early next year.

Click here to view PMAA’s comments.

From PMAA