Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Feb. 20, 2023:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration this week determined an emergency exists that warrants extension of a Regional Emergency Declaration in eight states.
As a result, truck drivers hauling gasoline, diesel and jet fuel into Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming in direct support of the emergency are exempt from Part 395.3 (maximum driving time) of the hours of service regulations through March 17 or until the end of the emergency, whichever is sooner.
The declaration was first issued Jan. 16 and was set to expire Feb. 15. The emergency declaration was issued “in response to the unanticipated shutdown of the Suncor refinery in Colorado, severe winter storms, and high demand resulting in difficulty in obtaining necessary fuel in the affected states, and the current and anticipated effects on people and property, including the immediate risk to public health, safety and welfare,” FMCSA said.
The extension was issued based on the continued response to the Suncor refinery shutdown, impacts of winter storms and high demand for the fuels.
[Related: Fuel haulers in eight states get hours of service relief]
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority and Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. have filed a brief seeking an appeal to overturn a ruling that banned truck-only tolls in the state.
