Truck drivers, who are transporting oversize or overweight loads for specialized carriers, will be exempt from FMCSA’s 30-minute break requirement for the next five years.
On Thursday, Dec. 4, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published a notice in the Federal Register that renews an exemption requested by the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association.
In June, the agency granted the group a six-month provisional renewal while it accepted comments from the public. Now, FMCSA has announced a full renewal that will keep the exemption in effect through June 17, 2030.
SC&RA is an international trade association with more than 1,400 members from 46 countries. The exemption covers truck drivers for all specialized carriers transporting oversize loads that need a permit from a state or local government agency.
“According to SC&RA, the 30-minute break uniquely affects oversize/overweight loads and has exacerbated the number of instances in which drivers have had to park these loads at roadside, consequently impacting the safety of both the general public and the driver,” FMCSA wrote in the June notice.
Renewal notice
FMCSA received 15 comments regarding SC&RA’s exemption request, with 11 in support, three opposed and one neutral.
Nick Wright, a technical trooper for the Kansas State Patrol, supported the exemption and asked FMCSA to make it clear that the exemption covers oversize and overweight loads. According to Wright, there had been some confusion among law enforcement.
Opponents of the exemption said that all drivers should be required to take the 30-minute rest break to ensure that they are rested.
The agency emphasized that the exemption applies to interstate carriers that are transporting loads that are oversize, overweight or both and require a permit issued by a government authority.
FMCSA also concurred with SC&RA that finding a place to park an oversize or overweight load is not an easy task.
“The agency believes finding suitable parking for trucks with oversize or overweight loads is particularly difficult, as SC&RA pointed out, and the default option is likely to be parking on the shoulder of a highway, with the load sometimes extending into the lanes of traffic,” FMCSA wrote. LL
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