The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has provisionally renewed an exemption that will allow drivers from two railroad groups to operate beyond the hours-of-service regulations.
In a notice published on Friday, Dec. 19, FMCSA announced that it renewed exemptions for the Association of American Railroads and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association for six months. The exemption allows drivers of railroads that are members of the two groups to respond to unplanned events outside normal work hours.
The provisional renewal runs through June 18, 2026. Meanwhile, FMCSA will accept comments through Jan. 20, 2026, to determine whether to renew the exemption for five years.
In its applications, the associations said that drivers operating under the exemption would receive fatigue-management resources appropriate to the rail working environment and to emergency response to unplanned events.
Earlier this year, FMCSA provisionally renewed a similar exemption request from R.J. Corman Railroad Services and Cranemasters, Inc. According to FMCSA’s website, the exemption has been renewed through March 4, 2030. The agency said the exemption would provide flexibility without hindering safety.
Last week, FMCSA posted another similar exemption request from Hulcher Services, Inc.
“Unplanned events requiring response frequently occur outside normal business hours, including late-night and early-morning callouts,” wrote Donald Bell, the company’s director of DOT compliance. “These are often in remote areas where no federal or state emergency declaration has been issued. Without this exemption, drivers may be barred from transporting equipment due to exceeding 14-hour daily or 70-hour weekly limits – despite being the only qualified operators available. Delays of this nature create safety risks, increase congestion and exacerbate the disruption to national rail service.”
How to comment
FMCSA will accept comments on the railroad associations’ requests through Jan. 20. To submit a comment, click here or go to Regulations.gov and enter Docket No. FMCSA-2020-0171-0015.
The agency will accept comments on Hulcher’s exemption request through Jan. 16. To make a comment, click here or go to Regulations.gov and enter Docket No. FMCSA-2025-1018. LL
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