FMCSA Restores 30-Day Emergency HOS Relief Window
The change applies to carriers responding to state or federal disaster declarations. Fleet managers should note the November 4 deadline for filing reconsideration petitions.
A 30-day window for hours-of-service emergency relief is returning to federal regulations. This revision replaces a 2023 rule that limited the relief period to 14 days.
The change follows a joint petition from OOIDA and the National Propane Gas Association. They argued the shorter limit lacked proper justification and created confusion about pre-disaster declarations.
Carriers and drivers can submit petitions for reconsideration by November 4. The agency published a proposed rule in January 2026 to address these concerns and restore the longer timeframe.
A separate hours-of-service exemption for fuel transport remains active through December 15. Several states have also declared emergencies that permit red-dyed diesel or provide relief for agriculture and wildfire response.
Industry groups maintain that the extended relief period matches safety standards. The longer window gives carriers the flexibility needed for unpredictable disaster response.
Source: Land Line — https://landline.media/fmcsa-finalizes-emergency-relief-rule/
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