A common criticism about the federal hours-of-service regulations is that trucking is diverse and that the rules don’t work for everyone.
Several companies have recently requested carveouts from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours of service.
Current regulations prohibit property-carrying commercial motor vehicle drivers from operating without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty. Additionally, the driver is limited to no more than 11 hours of driving time within a 14-hour period. Passenger-carrying commercial drivers are limited to 10 hours of driving within a 15-hour period.
Precision Fireworks
In a notice that was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, July 30, Precision Fireworks asked for an exemption from FMCSA’s 14-hour limit.
The fireworks display company said that it employs truck drivers who hold CDLs with hazardous materials endorsements to transport professional-grade pyrotechnics for Independence Day celebrations.
Precision Fireworks seeks an exemption from the 14-hour-rule “so that drivers would be allowed to exclude off-duty and sleeper-berth time of any length from the calculation of the 14 hours.” If granted, the exemption would apply to about five drivers during the period of June 28-July 8 for the next five years.
As a condition for operating under the exemption, the truckers would not be allowed to drive after accumulating a total of 14 hours of on-duty time. Precision Fireworks’ drivers would continue to be subject to the 11-hour driving time limit and the 60- and 70-hour on-duty limits.
Without the exemption, the company said it would be unable to provide professional fireworks displays for Texas, New Mexico and Missouri. Additionally, the company suggested it would create a safety hazard as its drivers may be forced to park a load of hazardous materials in unsecure areas.
FMCSA will accept public comments on the request through Aug. 31. To submit a comment, click here or go to Regulations.gov and enter Docket No. FMCSA-2026-1520.
CCS Transportation
FMCSA published a notice on July 17 about an exemption request from CCS Transportation.
The trucking company based in Conway, Ark., seeks relief from aspects of FMCSA’s hours of service.
Specifically, CCS Transportation requests an exemption to permit short-distance commercial motor vehicle movements to be logged as on-duty (not driving) yard moves on its drivers’ electronic logging devices during brief travel on local public roadways separating two of the company’s facilities.
The company told FMCSA that the two facilities are only 1.3 miles apart and are used for low-speed equipment repositioning, trailer spotting and tractor transfers.
“These movements do not involve interstate travel, highway speed operation or linehaul transportation,” the notice states. “The requested exemption would permit these specific movements to be logged as ‘yard moves’ or as on-duty (not driving) on the drivers’ ELDs despite brief travel on public roadways.”
FMCSA will accept public comments through Aug. 17. Comments can be made here, or by going to Regulations.gov and entering Docket No. FMCSA-2026-1387.
Colorado Huntsman Transport
On July 17, FMCSA also published a notice about an exemption request from Colorado Huntsman Transport.
The prison transportation company seeks an escape from some of FMCSA’s hours-of-service rules.
Huntsman asked for a 10-day on/10-day off schedule with a maximum seven-hour daily driving limit, as well as an exemption from commercial motor vehicle marking requirements.
The company said that “granting this exemption would allow us to operate without the prominent name and USDOT markings, thereby reducing public misidentification and the associated safety threats.” Huntsman added that its drivers and vehicles would continue to be fully identifiable through registration documents, electronic logging devices, USDOT numbers and GPS tracking.
FMCSA will accept comments on the exemption request through Aug. 17. To submit a comment, click here or go to Regulations.gov and enter FMCSA-2024-0317-0006.
In addition, the public comment period ended on July 30 for hours-of-service exemption requests from Lone Star Hazmat Response and Mainline Services.
Once FMCSA reviews the public comments, it will determine whether or not to grant the exemptions. LL
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