In response to severe winter weather, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has declared a regional emergency, effective through Jan. 31.
The emergency covers all 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. and applies to motor carriers and drivers operating in support of emergency efforts. It comes as numerous states already have emergency orders in place.
The FMCSA said the emergency is in response to severe winter storms, extreme low temperatures and high demand for heating fuel resulting in difficulty in distribution of propane, natural gas, and heating oil, in the affected states, and the current and anticipated effects on people and property, including the immediate risk to public health, safety and welfare. This declaration addresses the emergency conditions creating a need for immediate transportation of heating fuels.
Drivers and motor carriers are granted relief from maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles under this order in the affected states.
FMCSA said direct assistance means transportation and other relief services provided by a motor carrier or its driver(s) incident to the immediate restoration of essential supplies or essential services. Direct assistance does not include transportation related to long- term rehabilitation of damaged physical infrastructure after the initial threat to life and property has passed, nor does it include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration.
Direct assistance terminates when a driver or commercial motor vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services that are not in support of emergency relief efforts related to the emergency as set forth in this emergency declaration, or when the motor carrier dispatches a driver or commercial motor vehicle to another location to begin operations in commerce.
