The APA requested that four carriers be removed from the exemption and four carriers be added to the exemption, which was granted by FMCSA last year, keeping the total at 51 carriers.
The exemption allowed the 51 member companies of APA to extend the 14-hour on-duty window by excluding mid-period off-duty or sleeper-berth time of any length.
During the period of the exemption, which runs from June 28 through July 8 at 11:59 p.m. local time, drivers for the temporarily-exempted companies will not be allowed to drive after accumulating a total of 14 hours on-duty time, following 10 consecutive hours off duty, and will continue to be subject to the 11-hour driving limit and the 60- and 70-hour weekly on-duty limits.
With the passage of the FAST Act highway bill, all existing hours-of-service exemptions were extended to five years from the date the exemptions were granted, therefore APA’s exemption is extended until July 8, 2020. FMCSA extended the exemption for the 47 remaining companies, and if it grants the exemption for the four companies APA requested be added this year, those companies would be included in last year’s group so the exemption ends at the same time for all APA member companies.
FMCSA is seeking public comment on the amended exemption, which can be done by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2007-28043 at www.regulations.gov when the notice is published in the Federal Register on Monday, May 9.
