Dive Brief:
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration extended its ELD and hours of service waivers for Baltimore truck drivers following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse once again until July 15, the agency announced last week.
- The Maryland Comptroller’s Office and Motor Vehicle Administration have extended their waivers on International Fuel Tax Association and International Registration Plan requirements until the same day.
- “MMTA encourages motor carriers using the waivers to retain copies in their vehicles,” the Maryland Motor Truck Association said in an update on its website.
Dive Insight:
The bridge has been removed from the shipping channel, and the port has reopened. The state trucking association hadn’t expected another extension of the waivers, which was ordered July 5, one day before they were set to expire.
The Maryland Motor Truck Association advised members last month to “plan accordingly.”
The two extra hours of driving time and suspended ELD rule is available to truckers directly supporting the relief efforts, delivering fuel shipments and running alternative ports. It had previously been extended on May 8.
The relaxed rules have allowed Baltimore port drivers to continue working and serving their customers by hauling shipments diverted to Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and other East Coast ports.
With the port reopened after an eleven-week shutdown, Baltimore’s truckers, longshoremen and port officials are watching closely to see how much cargo returns.
