Emergency HOS relief extended in Texas | Fireworks hauler to split as it sees fit?

Two more weeks for relief haulers' HOS waiver

Following a two-week emergency declaration issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in response to heavy rainfall and flash flooding earlier this month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is extending regulatory relief granted by the declaration.

FMCSA’s extension of the declaration -- valid through Aug. 11 or until the end of the emergency, whichever is sooner -- waives maximum drive time regulations in 49 CFR 395.3 for drivers and motor carriers transporting food, fuel and water into affected counties due to ongoing flooding.

Abbott’s original declaration expired July 28, and at the request of the state, FMCSA granted the two-week extension because emergency conditions have not abated.

The regulatory relief provided by the extension applies regardless of the origin of the trip, as long as the carrier or driver is providing direct assistance to the flooding emergency in Texas.

Direct assistance does not include transportation related to long-term rehabilitation of damaged physical infrastructure after the initial threat to life and property has passed, FMCSA noted, nor does it include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of the waiver. 

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[Related: FMCSA to study impact of HOS regs on crash risk]

Peterbilt founder among three new trucking Hall of Fame inductees

The American Trucking Historical Society announced the 2026 inductees for the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame. They will be officially inducted during an Oct. 22 ceremony at the ATHS headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri:

• Chester Rodney England, founder of C.R. England
• Harold C. Groendyke, founder of Groendyke Transportation
• Al Peterman, founder of Peterbilt

England and his two sons founded C.R. England in 1920, and the company has since grown into one of the nation’s largest asset-based carriers. The company noted it continues to be guided by values/key priorities established by the founder: safety, family, community, and honoring the crest through integrity, professionalism, and pride in work.

On July 12, 1932, Groendyke hauled his first load of kerosene from Borger, Texas, to Beaver, Oklahoma, with a two-axle Ford truck equipped with a 3,000-gallon tank mounted on a homemade chassis. This first trip marked the beginning of Groendyke Transport, which would grow into one of the nation’s largest tank-truck carriers,

In 1939, Al Peterman acquired Fageol Motors and renamed it Peterbilt. Since then, Peterbilt has evolved from modifying logging trucks into a leading manufacturer of heavy- and medium-duty and vocational trucks. Throughout its history, the company has consistently incorporated driver feedback and technological innovation into its products.

[Related: Peterbilt Pride & Class parade rolls through downtown Denton]

“The American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame looks forward to welcoming these three icons of the industry and honoring their contributions to society and the economy,” said Hall of Fame Chair Tom Mullen. “It is a privilege to recognize these trucking industry pioneers and celebrate their remarkable accomplishments.”

All previous inductees are invited to attend the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame ceremony, which is open to the public.

Fireworks hauler requests HOS exemption

Precision Fireworks LLC is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from the 14-hour on-duty clock rule.

Precision is a fireworks display company that employs CDL holders with hazmat endorsements to transport fireworks in conjunction with the setup of firework displays for Independence Day.

Under the requested exemption, the company’s drivers would be allowed to exclude off-duty and sleeper-berth time of any length from the calculation of the 14 hours.

The exemption, if granted, would apply to approximately five drivers of five CMVs employed by Precision in conjunction with staging fireworks displays celebrating Independence Day during the period June 28-July 8, for the next five years (2026-2031) inclusive.

[Related: Sleeper berth: Will truckers be able to split as they see fit?]

As a condition for operating under the requested exemption, drivers would not be allowed to drive after accumulating a total of 14 hours of on-duty time, following 10 consecutive hours off-duty, and would continue to be subject to the 11-hour driving time limit, and the 60- and 70-hour on-duty limits.

The company said a denial of the waiver would limit the company’s ability to provide professional fireworks displays for Texas, New Mexico and Missouri because it cannot find sufficient CDL-qualified, hazmat-endorsed seasonal drivers to meet the demand within the strict 14-hour window.

The company said it would meet the same level of safety as operating without an exemption due to its short-distance routes (generally less than 150 miles from distribution point to display site); mandatory rest periods at show sites while waiting for the show to begin; early-morning driving when traffic density is low; and a safety record with zero reportable crashes over the last decade.

FMCSA is accepting public comments on the request here through Aug. 31.