In response to severe winter storms and related supply disruptions, several US states have declared emergency measures, temporarily easing requirements for commercial transportation operations. This primarily involves waiving Hours of Service (HOS) limits, and in some cases, relaxing weight and size restrictions for trucks. These measures aim to expedite the delivery of fuel, food, medicine, and infrastructure recovery equipment.
Governors and state transportation departments have announced that standard driver working time rules are temporarily not applicable to carriers involved in weather-related relief efforts. In several regions, permissible weight parameters have also been expanded and permit procedures for oversized loads simplified.
According to industry media, several states in the South and East of the US have made such decisions. A detailed overview of the measures and a list of regions can be found in the article States waive trucker logs and weight limits for storm relief.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) operates under regulation 49 CFR §390.23, which allows for the temporary suspension of certain norms in emergency situations. The agency's official page emphasizes that the relaxations apply only to transports providing direct assistance to affected regions: fuel, food, medical supplies, recovery equipment.
FMCSA clarifications state that such measures "are applied solely to ensure the rapid and effective delivery of essential goods in emergency situations" (agency wording published on the Emergency Declarations page). Typically, the duration of federal and state declarations is limited to 14 days unless an extension is decided.
Despite the relaxations, authorities emphasize: the waiver of HOS does not mean the complete removal of all safety requirements. Carriers are still required to comply with driver qualification rules, technical standards, and insurance requirements. After completing "direct assistance," the driver must take a mandatory rest before returning to the regular schedule.
The US Department of Transportation notes in its reference document that the goal of such measures is "to balance response speed with maintaining a basic level of road safety" (Transportation Emergency Response – Regulatory Relief).
The practice of emergency relaxations for freight transport is regularly used in the US—after hurricanes, winter storms, and other natural disasters. However, each new case raises the discussion about the boundaries of such exceptions: where is the line between necessary flexibility and road safety risks.
For drivers and companies, one principle remains key: carefully check the text of the specific state declaration and FMCSA federal clarifications to take advantage of the benefits legally and without consequences.