The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended regional emergency relief for the second time in as many months.
Fuel disruptions prompted regional emergency relief from the maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles transporting heating fuel, including propane, natural gas and heating oil.
This relief was first extended in late December and most recently on Jan. 15.
Currently, FMCSA has two separate regional emergency orders in place.
A regional declaration covering Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and West Virginia is now in effect through Feb. 15.
The latest fuel prices are available on this Land Line resources page.
Fuel haulers in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee and Wisconsin are also covered by an FMCSA regional emergency extension.
Direct assistance applies regardless of the origin of the trip as long as the motor carrier or driver is providing direct emergency assistance.
Relief applies to intrastate and interstate commerce on local, state and interstate roads.
Drivers operating under this emergency are not required to carry a copy of the declaration.
FMCSA emergency relief window
FMCSA published a notice of proposed rulemaking on Jan. 9 to extend the length of emergency relief automatically triggered by a declaration of emergency from 14 days to 30 days.
This proposal followed petitions for reconsideration of a final rule published in October 2023 that limited automatic relief to 14 days.
“In our experience, the current 30-day period provides sufficient time to deliver emergency assistance without negatively impacting safety,” OOIDA wrote in 2023. “We are unclear on exactly why FMCSA is proposing these regulatory changes at this time.”
FMCSA cited instances in which regulatory relief extended beyond 14 days. The agency also considered the costs associated with submitting, reviewing, and approving emergency extension requests.
Comments on the rule change will be accepted through March 10.
Comment here or go to Regulations.gov and enter Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0124. LL
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