More than 30 U.S. House of Representatives recently sent a letter to Sue Lawless, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) executive director and chief safety officer, urging the agency to provide relief from Hours of Service regulations for truck drivers in advance of natural disasters and emergencies.
The agency has the authority to issue emergency declarations but, in many cases, relief is granted only after a disaster.
“Having only state-level regulatory relief in response to state and local emergency declarations often creates an uneven regulatory environment and confusion and delay in regional responses to emergencies and disasters, particularly for multi-state suppliers and retailers,” the letter said.
The lawmakers urged FMCSA to provide consistent, advanced regulatory relief, especially when severe weather events or emergencies are predicted, to allow truck drivers and fuel marketers to better prepare and respond without regulatory barriers.
The lawmakers recommended FMCSA develop internal guidance to facilitate federal declaration of an emergency and trigger automatic relief at least five days before a reliably predicted disaster or emergency; and implement a policy on automatic regional relief to promote uniformity in disaster and emergency response.
“Clarity and consistency will enable drivers to make the best route decisions for the efficient restoration of essential fuel supplies,” the letter said.