FMCSA issues massive 40-state winter storm waiver

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a Regional Emergency Declaration across 40 states in response to severe winter storms and dangerous cold.

The order, which went into effect Friday evening, provides immediate regulatory relief for truck drivers providing direct assistance to emergency relief efforts.

The declaration suspends hours of service regulations to give drivers more flexibility to move essential supplies and restore services in regions where temperatures have dropped substantially below normal.

The relief applies to an area stretching from Texas and Florida to Montana and Massachusetts, and – critically – applies regardless of where a trip originates, provided the driver is supporting emergency efforts in the affected states.

Key restrictions

FMCSA clarified in the order that drivers must still adhere to:

Direct assistance only: The waiver does not cover routine commercial deliveries or long-term infrastructure rehabilitation.

Safety requirements: Controlled substance testing, CDL requirements, and financial responsibility (insurance) laws remain in effect.

Vehicle limits: Size and weight limitations and hazardous materials regulations are not waived.

Direct assistance ends once a driver is dispatched to a non-emergency task. “When a driver is moving from emergency relief efforts to normal operations … a 10-hour break is required when the total time a driver is engaged in emergency relief efforts, or in a combination of emergency relief and normal operations, equals or exceeds 14 hours,” the order states.

The waiver is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on February 6, unless FMCSA terminates it sooner or extends it, based on weather conditions.