Hours-of-service weather waivers from FMCSA now span more than 20 states
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued or extended three weather-related Hours of Service (HOS) waivers that now cover truck operations across more than 20 states.
According to the agency’s notices, two of the waivers apply to states in the Northeast and the Midwest and are written to allow extended driving under the emergency relief provisions.
HOS waivers like these are typically used when severe weather threatens normal supply lines and delivery schedules. The goal is to help carriers and drivers move priority loads and keep essential goods flowing during an emergency, without immediately triggering standard federal limits on driving time.
For drivers, the practical impact is that qualifying runs under the waivers may be able to operate with added flexibility on driving and on-duty time. At the same time, these waivers are narrow in scope: they apply only under the conditions described by FMCSA, and they are tied to the areas and time periods listed in each waiver.
With three waivers active or extended at once, the total footprint now reaches more than 20 states, reflecting how widespread weather disruptions can be and how quickly they can affect regional freight and day-to-day routing for drivers.