The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it is considering a petition to exempt truck drivers hauling ready-mixed concrete from the new requirement that most drivers take a half-hour rest break before driving more than eight hours.
In a Tuesday posting in the Federal Register, FMCSA said it received a petition from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association for the two-year exemption, and the agency will accept comments from the public on the request until Sept. 19.
NRMCA told the agency that concrete is a “perishable” product. “Once the ingredients that comprise ready-mixed concrete have been mixed (or batched), there is a ‘window’ of roughly 90 minutes before the concrete hardens and by specification is no longer usable,” FMCSA said, citing information from the association.
The break requirement took effect July 1. Drivers carrying certain explosives and radioactive material are exempt, and drivers carrying live animals and sensitive military cargo are under short-term waivers of the requirements until September, while FMCSA considers long-term exemptions.
Shorthaul drivers are also exempt, following an Aug. 2 federal court decision.
