Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall on May 28 outside of Panama City FL, prompting Florida Governor Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to issue an emergency declaration waiving the hours of service for vehicles acting in emergency response.
In trucking, this includes delivering supplies such as water, gasoline or other petroleum products and removing waste and other debris, according to Boyd Stephenson, senior vice president of government affairs for National Tank Truck Carriers.
Drivers using this relief while transporting these loads should keep copies of both the governor’s state of emergency and FMCSA’s waiver in the cab of the truck.
“FMCSA’s emergency response webpage spells out exactly which regulations apply and which do not,” Stephenson said. “In general, actions required or prohibited by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (hours of service) are suspended nationwide for all relief operations.”
However, size and weight restrictions do not fall under the FMCSRs and may or may not be enforced, depending on which state the vehicle travels through. Florida waived them, but carriers hauling oversize or overweight loads through other states should contact those Departments of Transportation to verify whether the emergency waiver will be honored. The emergency relief lasts through June 28, unless extended.