Trucking and Shipping Industry Works to Maintain Driver Safety During COVID-19

trucking regulationsThe trucking and transportation industry is one of many being affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. What’s worse, there’s a trickle-down effect on several other markets, including horticulture.

Fortunately, pros within the trucking industry are stepping up to make sure their needs, and subsequently the needs of affiliated industries, are addressed. On March 23, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) sent a letter to their members outlining the steps the commercial vehicle enforcement community and the trucking industry are taking to ensure that drivers are able to safely and efficiently deliver essential goods during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

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“The threat COVID-19 poses to our communities is nearly unprecedented, but the trucking community, government regulators, and enforcement officials are committed to working together to making sure that supplies important to the recovery effort arrive efficiently and safely at our stores and hospitals,” according to the March 23 letter.

The letter, signed by ATA President and CEO Chris Spear and CVSA Executive Director Collin Mooney, spells out that ATA is notifying its members and the trucking industry at large what goods and services are covered by various regulatory waivers in response to the pandemic, while CVSA is taking steps to make sure the enforcement community has the most up-to-date guidelines on those commodities, as well as providing both inspectors and drivers with critical information on personal protection and decontamination to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Both organizations are committed to doing what they can to ensure the smooth flow of goods and services to all of the people and places affected by this global pandemic and national emergency,” the letter says. “To that end, we are both working with government authorities and organizations so that drivers can continue to make critical deliveries even as various restrictions on movements and travel are imposed.”

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For more information about trucking’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, go to Trucking.org/COVID19.

The ATA also offers thanks to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for releasing its updated Emergency Declaration for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance to COVID-19 relief efforts. In the update, FMCSA provides new guidance on which operations are covered by the declaration, clarifying that fuel haulers are in fact included. The updated declaration also provides new guidance on mixed-load operations.

“We thank Administrator Mullen and the Trump Administration for continued support to our industry as we deliver food, water, medicine, medical supplies, fuel, and other essentials throughout this public health crisis,” said American Trucking Associations Vice President of Safety Policy Dan Horvath. “The men and women of the trucking industry are heroes who remain on the front lines in this national effort.”

ATA encourages individuals to review the official declaration to determine if their operations are included:

“This Emergency Declaration provides regulatory relief for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreaks, including transportation to meet immediate needs for: (1) medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; (2) supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectants; (3) food, paper products, and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores; (4) immediate precursor raw materials — such as paper, plastic or alcohol — that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items in categories (1), (2) or (3); (5) fuel; (6) equipment, supplies, and persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing, quarantine, and isolation facilities related to COVID-19; (7) persons designated by Federal, State, or local authorities for medical, isolation, or quarantine purposes; and (8) persons necessary to provide other medical or emergency services, the supply of which may be affected by the COVID-19 response. Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration.

“Direct assistance terminates when a driver or commercial motor vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services that are not in support of emergency relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreaks, or when the motor carrier dispatches a driver or commercial motor vehicle to another location to begin operations in commerce. 49 CFR § 390.23(b). Upon termination of direct assistance to emergency relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreaks, the motor carrier and driver are subject to the requirements of 49 CFR Parts 390 through 399, except that a driver may return empty to the motor carrier’s terminal or the driver’s normal work reporting location without complying with Parts 390 through 399.”

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