The coronavirus COVID-19 has infected nearly 187,000 people throughout 162 countries and territories thus far, with over 4,700 occurring in the United States, that number growing each day. With quarantine procedures in place, many are rushing to the stores to stock up on life’s necessities; toilet paper, canned vegetables, disinfectants, etc., leading to a shortage of products on shelves.
In an effort to get these essentials to market to keep up with demand during this time of crisis, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a waiver on Friday to the Hours of Service Rule for those truckers “transporting goods related to the COVID-19 outbreak,” in effect through April 12 or until the President declares an end to the emergency.(1)
According to the FMCSA’s announcement:
This Emergency Declaration provides regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations that are providing direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreaks, including transportation to meet immediate needs for: (1) medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; (2) supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants; (3) food for emergency restocking of stores; (4) equipment, supplies and persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing, quarantine, and isolation facilities related to COVID-19…..Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, or transportation of mixed loads that include essential supplies, equipment and persons, along with supplies, equipment and persons that are not being transported in support of emergency relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreaks.
Once a driver completes such work, he or she must then take their 10 hours off duty; however, if returning to their terminal, can do so without violation.(1) Employers are still required to keep record of their drivers’ hours as well as make sure that the driver is not sick or impaired when operating the vehicle.
Click here to read the full exemption proclaimed by the FMCSA.
Covid-19 certainly has presented challenges to us all. We at Road Scholar Transport are taking every care & caution that we can to protect our team, our clients, and our vendors. Our entire Road Scholar team has been fully educated (and tested to insure comprehension!) on how to prevent the spread of airborne illnesses so we can continue to serve you, and your customers, instead of contending with sickness. We also fully support your initiatives to vet entrants onto your property for illness, and you can expect full cooperation from all of the Scholars!
As the dynamics of this “event” change, we will be adjusting accordingly. The key is to communicate; which we shall. We have addressed every aspect of our operation/business and are confident we have our arms around it.
Should anyone need something that is business critical, whether it be food grade transport, hazmat shipping services, pharmaceutical transport or expedited freight services, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 800-542-2301 or contact us www.RoadScholar.com. We are here to help. Above all, stay healthy!
