A charity wants freedom from CDLs and ELDs, while a company seeks permission for its commercial learner’s permit holders to operate without a CDL holder in the passenger seat.
Will the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration grant these requests?
The agency is accepting comments on both exemption applications through Dec. 24.
Operating without a CDL?
On Monday, Nov. 24, FMCSA published notice of an exemption request from Diamond Excursions Ladies Edition, which does business as Project Gap.
In its application, the group describes itself as a non-profit organization that delivers and picks up donated goods – including food, water, hygiene items and other essential supplies – to underserved communities and areas affected by natural disasters.
The group said that CDL and ELD requirements pose a “significant burden” on the charity’s ability to help communities in need.
“Our commercial motor vehicle (semi-truck) is used exclusively for charitable purposes,” Diamond Excursions Ladies Edition Executive Director Iliana Oscar wrote in the application. “All transportation is conducted by unpaid volunteer drivers and vehicle use is strictly limited to donation collection, community distribution events and disaster relief missions. These trips are infrequent, mission-specific and carefully coordinated based on donation availability and community needs.”
Although the charity said the trips were infrequent, FMCSA confirmed that operations are in excess of eight days in a 30-day period. That means the charity’s drivers do not qualify for a provision under 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)(ii)(A) that allows the use of paper logs instead of an ELD to track hours of service. There was no mention of how many miles the charity typically travels, nor the weight of the vehicle.
“Project Gap states that it is committed to operating safely and responsibly,” FMCSA wrote in the notice. “It says that all drivers are trained and insured and comply with medical and safety screenings. These drivers, however, do not have CDLs. Project Gap states that it maintains detailed records of vehicle use, routes and trip purposes.”
Comments on the exemption request can be made by clicking here or by going to Regulations.gov and entering Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0524.
Exemption for CLP holders
Agri-Tech Aviation, a company that serves farmers in Iowa with aerial application needs, wants FMCSA to allow its commercial permit holders who have passed the CDL skills test but not yet obtained the physical document to operate without being accompanied by a CDL holder in the passenger seat.
The company said it operates a fleet of five commercial motor vehicles – two straight trucks that hold 500 gallons of jet fuel and three Ford F550 flatbed trucks with a 30-foot gooseneck capable of carrying up to 900 gallons of jet fuel and 1,350 gallons of crop protection products.
According to the company’s application, it operates only in Iowa and its drivers operate within a 150-air mile radius from home base.
Weston Sharp, the company’s vice president, told FMCSA that the exemption would “allow us to have our driver get real driving experience while obtaining a Class A CDL under the supervision of Agri-Tech Aviation.”
Comments on the exemption request can be made by clicking here or by going to Regulations.gov and entering Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0226. LL
Read other Land Line stories about exemptions.
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