FMCSA Eases HOS Rules for Drivers in Katrina's Aftermath

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he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has relaxed driver hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers bringing supplies to the hard-hit Gulf Coast region still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

American Trucking Association officials said when President Bush declared the region a “major disaster” area, federal HOS rules were automatically relaxed.

The automatic mechanism is part of FMCSA’s HOS rules and exempts drivers providing “relief in an emergency” situation.

FMCSA also issued four regional emergency declarations allowing fuel transporters anywhere in the country to exceed normal hours-of-service rules, as gasoline and diesel supplies ran tight in many regions following the storm’s effect on domestic fuel production. That exemption applies to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, FMCSA said.

Trucking association officials said they had been contacted by members who want to provide assistance and were coordinating with relief officials to connect trucks with loads.

“Where we can, we are acting as a clearinghouse or broker for motor carriers, relief agencies and state governments to match their needs and our abilities to transport relief supplies and other necessities,” said American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves.

National Tank Truck Carriers Vice President John Conley said NTTC members have offered to haul fuel and water into the affected region.

Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said DOT has dispatched “more than 390 trucks that are beginning to deliver millions of meals-ready-to-eat, millions of liters of water, tarps, millions of pounds of ice, mobile homes, generators, containers of disaster supplies and forklifts to flood-damaged areas.”