Pennsylvania Hours of Service Waiver Extends Maximum Driving Time for Motor Carriers Transporting Fuels

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Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

Jan 27, 2016, 04:18 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Transportation Secretary Leslie S. Richards has signed an hours of service waiver to extend the maximum driving time to 14 hours for motor carriers engaged in the transportation of fuels.

The waiver was effective as of January 26, 2016 at midnight and remains in effect until February 6 at 11:59 p.m.

Exemption is also granted from the requirements of the 60/70-hour limits rule. This rule requires drivers to stop driving upon accumulating 60 or 70 on-duty hours (including all on-duty and driving time) over a period of seven or eight consecutive days, respectively. Any period of seven or eight consecutive days may end with the beginning of any off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours.

Drivers are reminded that the waiver must be in their possession when traveling extended hours. This also only applies when the contents being transported are exclusively listed under the "Type of Operation."

For the latest information regarding the state's response emergency response efforts, visit www.pema.pa.gov.

Media contact:  Rich Kirkpatrick, Transportation – 717-783-8800, [email protected]        

The text of the waiver follows:

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
HARRISBURG, PA 17101-1900

OFFICE OF
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

EXEMPTION 2016-02

Pursuant to the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued by the Governor on January 21, 2016, 75 Pa. C.S. §6108, and the authority granted in 49 C.F.R. §390.23 and 67 Pa. Code Chapter 231, the waivers in this exemption apply to certain motor carriers engaged in operations necessary to respond to the emergency declared by the Governor. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation hereby issues the following exemption:
TYPE OF OPERATION: Transportation of propane gas and oil for hearting purposes.
EXTENT OF EXEMPTION: Amends Exemption 2016-01 relating to the requirement to comply with driver hour of service limitations.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 25, 2016 2400 hours.
TERMINATION DATE: February 6, 2016 2359 hours.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

  1. This exemption applies statewide to the transportation of propane gas and oil for heating purposes.
  2. The maximum driving time is extended from 11 hours to 14 hours. Ten consecutive hours off-duty must be taken between the 14 hours of driving time.
  3. Operators are exempted from the requirements of the 60/70 hour rule.
  4. This waiver does not otherwise exempt these motor carriers and drivers from the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code (Title 75), the Pennsylvania Crimes Code (Title 18), and motor carrier regulations at 67 Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 231 and 49 C. F. R. Parts 390 – 399.
  5. Title 67, Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 175, Vehicle Equipment and Inspection, remains in effect for all vehicles registered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

DATE: January 25, 2016
Leslie S. Richards
Secretary of Transportation

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Transportation