The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has added fuel to the
list of emergency supplies covered by the federal Hours of Service waiver for
commercial drivers aiding relief efforts under nationwide state of emergency
due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The March 13 emergency declaration addressing the coronavirus did not spell out
that the HOS waiver applied to fuel transport.

However, a coalition of industry trade groups -- the National Association of
Convenience Stores, the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, the
Petroleum Marketers Association of America and the Society of Independent
Gasoline Marketers of America -- had asked the FMCSA to add fuel to the
declaration to prevent shortages.

"We support the HOS Waiver for the delivery of essential supplies critical to
supporting public health during this crisis," the trade groups said in a
March17 letter to the agency. "Without access to fuel, however, manufacturers
are unable to provide supplies to hospitals, businesses, and homes. Moreover,
workers at essential businesses -- including first responders and hospital
workers -- need fuel to get to their jobs. In addition, emergency response
vehicles need uninhibited access to fuel."

The associations said that in some states their members were already seeing
consumers "rush to the pumps" and they said that can disrupt relief
efforts."Issuing a nationwide HOS waiver for the transportation of fuel will
help mitigate a broader run on fuel," the letter said.

The letter also explained the crisis created by COVID-19 could worsen the
national shortage of commercial drivers. "Losing drivers due to illness or
quarantine will only amplify the shortage of drivers making a nationwide HOS
Waiver for the transportation of fuel even more necessary," the associations
said.

A copy of the March 18 declaration that now includes fuel says the waiver took
effect immediately and remains in effect until the end of the emergency or
until April 12, whichever happens first.

"We're happy with the expanded waiver," PMAA President Rob Underwood told OPIS
in an email. "This is what we urged FMCSA to do and we are prepared to ask for
a broader waive if needed for all commercial refined product deliveries."

--Reporting by Donna Harris, dharris@opisnet.com; Editing by Michael Kelly,
michael.kelly3@ihsmarkit.com




Copyright, Oil Price Information Service