Trucks hauling fuel get HOS waiver for 3 months

A nationwide waiver of Hours of Service (HOS) rules for the transportation of motor fuels will be in place until December 16 following the action taken by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. FMCSA announced Wednesday an immediate waiver that will allow drivers to be behind the wheel for up to 16 hours per day. The current regulations are a limitation of 11 hours driving in a 14-hour period with a 30-minute break after eight hours of driving. “The Agency grants this waiver in anticipation of the need for greater hours-of-service flexibility for motor carriers transporting fuel during the last weeks of the summer and most of the fall if the demand for fuel increases above the levels experienced earlier in the year,” FMCSA said in its announcement. Under the waiver, a driver is limited to driving no more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period.