Propane haulers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Florida now are temporarily exempt from federal hours of service regulations, per two declarations issued this week by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, who has already issued exemptions for propane haulers in about two-thirds of the U.S.
The exemptions come as additions to regional waivers already issued for the Midwest, the East and the South, issued due to regional propane shortages caused by an uptick in demand due to the “polar vortex” caused colder-than-average temperatures and kinks in distribution and storage.
The country’s propane supply is “more than adequate,” says the National Propane Gas Association, who requested the waivers for propane haulers, but certain events in recent months have combined to cause issues with getting the home heating fuel to consumers.
The waivers last until 11:59 p.m. Feb. 11, and drivers hauling propane must have a copy of the declaration with them. Click here to download the one for North and South Dakota and click here for Florida’s.
The exemption expires immediately when a driver uses his equipment for something other than hauling propane or returning empty to a terminal or reporting location from hauling propane.
FMCSA’s regional HOS waivers include propane haulers in Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Connecticut, D.C., Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Waivers for these states last until Feb. 11, too.
