Certain fireworks haulers get hours-of-service exemption

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Friday it has granted an hours-of-service exemption to fireworks haulers who drive for any of the 51 member companies of the American Pyrotechnics Association, allowing them to drive past the 14th hour of coming on duty.

The exemption is a renewal for 46 companies in the APA, and the agency decided to grant the same exemption for five other companies. The exemption will be effective June 28-July 8, 2015, as well as June 28-July 8, 2016.

The original application covered 55 carriers, but FMCSA has declined to exempt 3 of them, and 1 carrier is out of business, leaving 51 approved carriers.

The exemption allows drivers to accumulate 14 on-duty hours rather than working a straight 14-hour window.

During the period of the exemption, the truck operators will be allowed to exclude off-duty and sleeper-berth time of any length from the calculation of their 14 hours. The drivers will not be allowed to drive after accumulating a total of 14 hours on-duty time, following 10 consecutive hours off duty, and will continue to be subject to the 11-hour driving limit and the 60- and 70-hour weekly on-duty limits.