Being able to serve propane customers promptly in the event of emergencies--such as unexpected calls for tank refills and breakdown of furnace equipment--has become a problem for propane distributors, said Rick Roldan, president of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA). "This makes everyone in this room choose between compliance and safety," he said.
Roldan referred to the new hours-of-service regulations that address the 36-hour restart rule which includes the word "consecutive." Because the rule requires consecutive hours driving, propane suppliers may have to hire additional drivers to meet customer demands when the original driver runs out of time.
He told Bulk Logistics Trends he does not anticipate the rule will be changed at the administrative level, but that NPGA will continue efforts to change the rule at the congressional level.
Roldan made the remarks at the Midwest Propane Gas Convention and Trade Show April 16-18 in Indianapolis IN.