On March 13th, the Hours-of-Service suspension was to last until April 12th. It was then extended to May 15th, then June 15th, and now the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration extends it once again to July 14th.
The Applicable Shipments
Not all trucks on the road get the privilege of ignoring hours-of-service until the job is done. The extension applies to fewer categories than ever before. The suspension mainly applies to truckers hauling:
- Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of the COVID-19 coronavirus
- Supplies and equipment — e.g. masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants — necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19
- Livestock and livestock feed
Here is the free PDF version from the FMCSA.
Conclusion
Using the CDC’s website and archived updates from it, we find that the total recorded US deaths in April were 57,197 and in May, 43,643. For June so far, the numbers predict approximately 27,094 deaths in June, calculated from taking the total deaths each day and extrapolating them for thirty days. Despite quarantine fatigue and more people breaking social distancing rules, the total number of deaths is in decline. This does not mean that you should behave recklessly as though we are not in a pandemic, but it is evidence to show that we are inching towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember to wear gloves at the diesel pump and stay six feet away from people, and the pandemic should be coming to an end any day now.
(Article correction: this extension has changes to applicable shipments, removing shipments such as groceries but adding livestock and its food.)
Article courtesy of TopMark Funding.
