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Contacts: Sherri Stone; Rob Underwood
## House Lawmakers Urge FMCSA to Adopt Preemptive and Proactive Hours of Service Regulatory Relief Policy
June 10, 2025 | NFCH-25-07
Washington, D.C. – June 10, 2025 – Congressman Bost (R-IL) and Congressman Mike Collins (R-GA), along with 31 House lawmakers, formally requested that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implement a preemptive and proactive policy for hours of service (HOS) exemptions to enhance disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. The request, detailed in a letter to FMCSA Executive Director and Chief Safety Officer Lawless emphasizes the urgent need for timely and predictable regulatory relief to ensure the uninterrupted flow of essential services and supplies, such as liquid fuels, during major disasters and regional emergencies. “When communities are staring down the threat of a dangerous emergency, the last thing they should have to worry about is ready access to fuel for their homes and vehicles,” said Bost. “I grew up in a family trucking business; I know red tape and delays at the federal level often make it harder for truckers to do their jobs and deliver their product when it matters most. This commonsense policy change will help keep families safe and spur a quicker recovery during severe weather and supply chain disruptions.” With the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters and emergencies, House lawmakers highlighted the critical role of liquid fuel marketers in maintaining fuel supply chains for fueling stations and home heating, particularly during life-threatening events. “When disaster strikes, our fueling stations need to be supplied and ready to provide first responders and everyone in the impacted zone with the power they need to recover and rebuild,” said Rep. Mike Collins. “I am proud to join my colleagues in improving disaster response and getting government bureaucracy out of the way of common-sense solutions.” The letter proposed two key actions for the FMCSA: Preemptive Emergency Declarations: Develop internal guidance to issue federal emergency declarations and trigger automatic HOS relief at least five days before reliably predicted disasters. This proactive approach would support advanced preparation, enabling fuel marketers to maintain adequate supplies for evacuations and mitigate potential shortages during severe weather events. Uniform Regional Relief Policy: Implement a standardized federal policy for regional HOS exemptions to promote consistency and clarity. The current reliance on state-level declarations often results in a fragmented regulatory landscape, causing confusion and delays for multi-state fuel suppliers. A uniform federal approach would streamline compliance and enhance the efficiency of fuel distribution across state lines. The letter underscores the FMCSA’s authority to issue emergency declarations and urges the adoption of clear internal guidance to facilitate proactive regional relief. This policy would eliminate compliance challenges and enable drivers to make optimal routing decisions for swift restoration of essential fuel supplies. “Over 300 energy marketers across the country attended the Energy Marketers of America’s DC Conference and Day on the Hill last month and made it a priority to get lawmakers to call on the FMCSA to establish a forward-thinking policy that ensures timely and consistent HOS relief during emergencies,” said EMA President Rob Underwood. “We stand ready to collaborate with the agency to develop this critical framework for disaster response and recovery.”
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