The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration granted truck drivers hauling petroleum products a five-year exemption from the 30-minute rest break requirement. 

Effective April 9, under certain conditions, fuel haulers can operate for 12 hours without triggering the rest break requirement. Federal regulations typically require a 30-minute rest break for drivers after they reach eight consecutive hours.

FMCSA said it granted the expemption, which is in effect until April 10, 2023, because fuel haulers “receive several short breaks each day when they unload.” 

The National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) and the Trucking Association of Massachusetts (TAM) in 2017 applied for the exemption for drivers who would be on-duty more than 12 hours provided their vehicles were carrying petroleum products and were equipped with an electronic logging device (ELD).

FMCSA said it found that the level of safety achieved by the industry operating under the terms and conditions of the exemption would be equal to, or greater than, the level of safety that would be achieved if the drivers were required to take the rest break. "These drivers receive several short 'breaks’' each day when they unload product at service stations," FMCSA wrote.

Read the Federal Register notice here.