FMCSA Denies Hours of Service Exemption

On April 19, 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) denied NPGA’s application for a 5 Year Special Exemption to Hours of Service regulations, submitted in September 2022. FMCSA claims in its denial that NPGA’s application does not provide an analysis of safety impacts the requested exemption may cause, or countermeasures to ensure that the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent or greater than the level achieved by the current regulations. FMCSA claims that they cannot ensure that the exemption would achieve the requisite level of safety. FMCSA further stated that the scenarios NPGA outlined as justification for the exemption do not warrant a categorical exemption.  NPGA is reviewing the decision, evaluating its options, and will continue to engage FMCSA on hours of service regulations. For questions or additional information, please contact Vice President, Regulatory & Industry Affairs Benjamin Nussdorf.