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COVID-19 Update: FMCSA Hours of Service waiver extended

Virginia opens up scales to parking

The Hours of Service (HOS) waiver handed down by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) last month at the start of the COVID-19 crisis has been extended, the agency announced on April 8.

The waiver was set to expire April 12 or at the declaration of the end of the national emergency declared by President Trump. With April 12 just a few days away, and the emergency declaration still in place, the extension of the order was necessary to continue the HOS waiver.

One expansion of the waiver was implemented in the latest FMCSA declaration – the waiver now applies to the transportation of liquified gases used in refrigeration or cooling systems.


The other major provisions of the waiver stay in place. It will run through May 15.

It covers a long list of products, including medical supplies, food/paper products/other groceries “for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores; the materials needed to make those things; fuel; people necessary to deal with the pandemic; and other equipment needed for the same.” 

The exemption does not cover “routine commercial deliveries.” The FMCSA extension also reiterated earlier clarification that the waiver does not apply to “mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration.”

The waiver continues to require drivers be given a 10-hour break following the completion of a delivery. 


– Parking just got a little easier in Virginia. The commonwealth said it would allow drivers to park at any of its 10 weigh stations, which are closed until at least April 23. The order from the Virginia Department of Transportation says rest parking is available to drivers “transporting essential goods.” The weigh stations include three on interstate 81; three on interstate 95; and one each on interstate 77, interstate 64, state route 11, state route 13 and state route 58.

9 Comments

  1. Noble1

    And another ,

    Noble1
    says:
    Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 4:41 am
    An interesting report was written and released in 2007 titled :
    Economic Effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
    Implications for a Modern-day Pandemic
    Thomas A. Garrett Assistant Vice President and Economist Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
    Quote:
    Economic Effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
    “These general effects in 1918 can be used to extrapolate to the potential economic effects of a modern-day pandemic.”

    Google it !

    It’s very short . However, as I’ve stated in prior comments , one must learn from the past otherwise will be doomed to repeat it . No country in the world had prepared for this “Modern-day Pandemic” possibility ! Some even did worse , they didn’t take it seriously ! One country that didn’t take it seriously is so embedded with infected citizens and the count rising , it’s now preventing a company in its country that manufactures the N95 masks from selling them to other countries due to that country’s mask shortage and desperate need for them .

    That country is the most powerful country in the world and wants to police every other country and dictate how they should behave ! Though they themselves have turned a blind eye and didn’t prepare nor take a modern day pandemic seriously ! In other words that country doesn’t walk their talk and nor is its current leader(s) ! No wonder this current COVID-19 became a pandemic ! Everyone is sleeping at the helm while attempting to dictate how others should behave .

    All these highly educated and experienced “experts” have FAILED miserably ! Now we have a worldwide crisis on our hands causing absolute chaos and loss of life which could have been prevented if properly managed !

    2020 as I’ve indicated many times previously will be a huge eye opener/wake up call . Observe & learn !

    In my humble opinion ………….

  2. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

    Another comment of mine on the subject :

    quote myself ,

    Third. In regards to the economy . Yes sir ! As stated before this Covid-19 outbreak , the next economic blow(correction) would be a heck of a lot worse than the one in 2008 . Now we’re in the midst of its revelation and soon to be confirmed officially . Add the COVID-19 pandemic to that prediction and we can get an idea based on what occurred 100 years ago .
    Quote from the NBER website : “The 1918 Flu Pandemic Hit GDP Hard: Economists”

    On a brighter note , keep in mind what followed : The roaring 1920’s thereafter . But then again , what did that lead to in 1929 ?
    Coming out of this one , inflation is going to be insane in the next bull cycle , and quite an insane bull cycle should ensue . Then the next bust will be even worse than this one .

    Whoever said history doesn’t repeat , well it sure as hell rhymes !

    Around every 100 years a pandemic occurs !
    -1817 first Asiatic cholera pandemic.
    -1918/19 Influenza pandemic .
    -2019/20 coronavirus pandemic .

    In my humble opinion …………..

  3. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

    2 of 2 for TAS;

    Quote:
    March 18 2020
    We Were Warned

    When the inevitable inquiry into the government’s response to COVID-19 happens, it will conclude that signs of a coming crisis were everywhere.

    “We were warned in 2019 of the grave hazards of a new influenza pandemic by the U.S. intelligence community in its annual “worldwide threat assessment.” They had also cautioned us in 2018. And in 2017. And in 2016. And in 2015. And in 2014. And in 2013, when intelligence officials pleaded, “This is not a hypothetical threat. History is replete with examples of pathogens sweeping populations that lack immunity, causing political and economic upheaval.” (The 2020 worldwide threat assessment, which reportedly yet again flagged America’s vulnerability to a flu pandemic, has been postponed without explanation.)

    When the National Commission on the COVID-19 response materializes, it will differ from the 9/11 Commission in that it will conclude that “the system was blinking red” not just in the inner sanctum of the U.S. intelligence community but out in the open, as well. For years. Within government and outside government. And that, despite all that, the U.S. government was not sufficiently prepared when the boogeyman, in this case the virus SARS-CoV-2, finally came calling. President Trump has referred to the coronavirus outbreak as “an unforeseen problem,” as “something that nobody expected,” and as a crisis that “came out of nowhere.” It is demonstrably none of the above.”
    End quote.

    Happy retirement Mr.Trump !
    If Biden plays his cards right , he will take Trump apart on this issue alone while Trump will sputter and attempt to take cheap shots at him . Biden should simply ignore Trump’s narcissistic attempts to make himself look good through belittling attempts on Biden , and Biden just keep on hammering Trump on his negligence that lead the USA population into a health emergency chaos running the economy into a crisis with unprecedented unemployment rates due to his denial and calling COVID-19 a hoax and fake news while there were numerous warnings to prepare and prevent it etc .

    Cross your fingers that Trump won’t lead the US into a second COVID-19 wave which is practically impossible not to occur due to false negatives . The damage of wave one is already done . Even if Trump were to have a “cure” , it wouldn’t change the tremendous damage already done due to his negligence .

    Congratulations Mr.Biden on your new role as the president of the United States shortly !

    In my humble opinion …………

  4. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

    Here you go TAS :
    1 of 2
    I highly recommend that you listen to this !
    Quote :
    December 2 2014
    Obama advocating for pandemic preparedness in 2014 (google it !)

    “Barack Obama
    There may and likely will come a time in which we have both an airborne disease that is deadly. And in order for us to deal with that effectively, we have to put in place an infrastructure — not just here at home, but globally — that allows us to see it quickly, isolate it quickly, respond to it quickly. And it also requires us to continue the same path of basic research that is being done here at NIH that Nancy is a great example of. So that if and when a new strain of flu, like the Spanish flu, crops up five years from now or a decade from now, we’ve made the investment and we’re further along to be able to catch it. It is a smart investment for us to make. It’s not just insurance; it is knowing that down the road we’re going to continue to have problems like this — particularly in a globalized world where you move from one side of the world to the other in a day.”
    End quote .

    Imagine that . We were warned ! Not only were we warned , but Obama referenced to 5 years into the future ! Indeed 5 years later on dot a pandemic broke out !

    FIRE TRUMP ! Don’t allow him to continue to take the general public for fools repeatedly ! Enough WITH HIS CONSTANT LYING ALREADY . Enough IS ENOUGH ! THE PEOPLE DESERVE AN HONEST LEADER who will look out for their better interest !
    Told ya , this pandemic could have been prevented !

    Furthermore, who was the vice president back then ? Who being the vice president back then and part of the Obama administration was also pushing for that pandemic preparedness ? JOE BIDEN !

    That my dear friends this is one of Biden’s major Ace’s in the hole to beat Trump in the next election for president ! A democratic (wink)

    In my humble opinion …………..

  5. Steven

    Not much to pull anyway.
    Many Independents using load boards or relaying in brokers will loose everything soon.
    And so are many other companies without contract.
    Even those will contracts might go bankrupt too due to many products low demand.
    So relaxed or not HOS won’t help the situation….unless market will change drastically in next few weeks….most likely not.
    Good luck everyone.

  6. Noble1

    Speaking of waiver

    Quote : US unemployment rises 6.6m in a week as coronavirus takes its toll

    Eric Anderson, 63, a grocery store worker in Mulberry, Florida recently quit his job because he is in the high risk category to the disease due to his age and diabetes. Anderson felt uneasy about the crowds at his grocery store. Florida governor Ron DeSantis refrained from issuing a stay at home order until April 1. Anderson recently took two weeks unpaid leave and will likely extend it through the pandemic.

    “Nobody was staying home, so I had to,” said Anderson. “I’m not getting paid, but as I told my manager I’d rather be broke than dead. The people in my area were ‘business as usual.’ What got to me was families, elderly people, babies, pregnant women, all came shopping. I worked through this past Friday getting more and more stressed, and when I went in last Saturday, every register was open, people lined up, self check outs full, aisles full and I decided enough.”
    End quote.

    I wouldn’t be issuing “waivers” , I’d be locking the USA DOWN ! Look at the COVID-19 death toll and infected rate !!! I mean come on ! Seriously ???

    Half a million infected and growing , 15 thousand deaths , and Trump is talking about wanting to get the economy back on its feet ??? Perhaps he should think about protecting his people FIRST ! Then once the infected and death rates start decreasing due to implementing reasonable and responsible SAFETY stringent measures he can then start focusing on implementing the next step . Until then he’s living in la la land !

    Be wise, be vigilant , stay safe, and self isolate !

    In my humble opinion ………….

    1. TAS

      In 2018 Influenza infected 45 million in the US, hospitalized 800k and took the life of an estimated 61k Americans. I don’t remember the stores and restaurants being on lockdown, do you? Your health situation is sad, diabetes is no joke, and I pray for your continued health but President Trump is correct. We need to take aim at correcting our economy before millions more people lose everything they have. Broke instead of dead? I agree with that statement but it means those at risk need to protect themselves, the rest of the country does not need to protect them. All indications over the last few days, looking at WHO and CDC sites, is that the models presented by them were VERY wrong. Terrible disease that needs a vaccination and soon, ABSOLUTELY! Virus that warranted killing the best economy we have ever seen and ruining millions financially? Not even close..

      1. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

        ??? I don’t have a health situation . It’s the person quoted in the article that’s the one that has diabetes(a health situation) .

        Trump is a joke , called the COVID-19 a hoax and fake news . He didn’t prepare nor prevented the unfortunate outbreak in the United States . He’s a compulsive liar . At first I found him entertaining and even predicted that he would be elected president .

        However, the truth of the matter is that he’s not a good leader.

        The COVID-19 is masking what was already occurring before the outbreak ! The economy was slowing down and heading for a whopping correction . This was forecasted ! The trucking industry was getting hit hard and bankruptcies galore way before the COVID-19 outbreak showed its ugly head ! An oil glut was already our reality too !

        The economic cycle was extended to a full jugular cycle since the last financial crisis ! The writing was on the wall and in December I kept warning through many comments of mine on Freightwaves that the upcoming correction was going to be horrific and make 2008 look like a picnic in comparison .

        This is precisely what has transpired so far . COVID-19 wasn’t even on the map yet ! Then when COVID-19 hit in Wuhan , I was on the ball from the get go ! I was stating how bad it really was and catching reports on the subject before they were censored . I even posted a link to a nurse explain that it was far worse than what was being reported .

        Anyways , we were warned about the effects of a potential pandemic and to prepare for one since 2013 . Even Obama gave a speech in December 2014 on the subject and was asking congress for funding to prepare for the next one in 5 years to a decade and was denied . Well would you look at that , 5 years later a pandemic became a reality !

        I’ll quote a few things for you in further comments below . Trump is finished ! He won’t be reelected .

        Do you understand what vaccinations are ? I wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole !

        In my humble opinion ……….

        Book mark this post !

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John Kingston

John has an almost 40-year career covering commodities, most of the time at S&P Global Platts. He created the Dated Brent benchmark, now the world’s most important crude oil marker. He was Director of Oil, Director of News, the editor in chief of Platts Oilgram News and the “talking head” for Platts on numerous media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business and Canada’s BNN. He covered metals before joining Platts and then spent a year running Platts’ metals business as well. He was awarded the International Association of Energy Economics Award for Excellence in Written Journalism in 2015. In 2010, he won two Corporate Achievement Awards from McGraw-Hill, an extremely rare accomplishment, one for steering coverage of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and the other for the launch of a public affairs television show, Platts Energy Week.