The US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended regulatory relief for truck drivers transporting cargo related to COVID-19 and for those who are unable to renew the commercial drivers’ licences or provide medical certificates/arrange for physicals, in both cases to May 31, 2021.
Hours of service relief is only available to drivers transporting:
- livestock and livestock feed;
- medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19;
- vaccines, constituent products, and medical supplies and equipment including ancillary supplies/kits for the administration of vaccines, related to the prevention of COVID-19;
- supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants; and
- food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores.
Click here for the expansion notice.
For drivers’ licences and medical requirements, FMCSA permits, but does not require, States to extend the validity of commercial driver's licenses and commercial learner's permits and to waive the 14-day waiting period and grants other waivers from certain regulations applicable to interstate and intrastate CDL and CLP holders and to other interstate drivers operating commercial motor vehicles.
Click here for the waiver. While this waiver does not mention Canadian truck drivers operating in the US, FMCSA has previously issued an enforcement notice for these drivers as well. Please stay tuned for updates.
