FMCSA receives HOS exemption request for transport of food staples
Posted December 18, 2018
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) received an hours-of-service (HOS) exemption request for the delivery of baked goods and milk products in areas impacted by a natural disaster or other emergency situations.
The American Bakers Association (ABA) and International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) requested a five-year exemption from 49 CFR Part 395 when delivering essential food staples to help communities prepare for anticipated disaster conditions.
The requested exemption would only cover time in advance of, during, and shortly after an emergency situation, when HOS rules can serve as an unintended barrier to disaster preparation and operations.
ABA represents the wholesale baking industry, which includes more than 1,000 baking facilities and company suppliers of products such as bread, rolls, crackers, tortillas, and other sweet goods. The average number of drivers and commercial motor vehicles per company who would be affected by the exemption is about 1,050, ranging from 70 to 5,500.
IDFA represents the dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, a sector that includes about 15,500 drivers and a combined 18,000 tractor-trailer and smaller delivery trucks.
FMCSA is currently accepting public comments on the request at the Federal eRulemaking Portal under docket number FMCSA-2018-0312.
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