BREAKING: FMCSA expands Emergency Declaration to include transport to DC’s and select “raw materials”
The FMCSA clarified today some of the categories of freight included in the Emergency Declaration exempting carriers from current Hours of Service regulations.
Some major changes within the declaration include adding “paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores” as it previously mentioned only food going to stores, prompting widespread confusion on whether the line-hauls from manufacturing facilities to distribution centers of freight destined for relief efforts qualified for the exemption.
Also new in the expanded declaration “immediate precursor raw materials-such as paper, plastic or alcohol-that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items in categories (1), (2) or (3); (5) fuel” was added.
According to the expanded declaration, this emergency declaration applies to carriers hauling any of the following products in direct assistance of the recovery efforts:
(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, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores;
(4) immediate precursor raw materials-such as paper, plastic or alcohol-that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items in categories (1), (2) or (3); (5) fuel;
(6) equipment , supplies and persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing, quarantine , and isolation facilities related to COVID-19;
(7) persons designated by Federal, State or local authorities for medical , isolation , or quarantine purposes ; and
(8) persons necessary to provide other medical or emergency services, the supply of which may be affected by the COVID-19 response.
To see the FMCSA’s announcement, click here.
