Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020:
COVID-related HOS waiver extended through February
The federal hours of service waiver available to carriers and truck drivers providing direct emergency assistance for the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended through the end of February 2021 and expanded to also include the transportation of vaccines and medical supplies and equipment related to the prevention of COVID-19, as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced earlier this week.
The waiver, which was previously set to expire Dec. 31, is now effective through Feb. 28, 2021. The waiver from Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations now covers drivers transporting the following:
- Livestock and livestock feed
- Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19
- Vaccines, constituent products and medical supplies and equipment, including ancillary supplies/kits, for the administration of vaccines, related to the prevention of COVID-19
- Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19, such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants
- Food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores
FMCSA in its waiver notes that it does not cover include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of the declaration.
XPO spins off its logistics and warehousing arm
LTL and brokerage giant XPO on Wednesday announced it will spin off its logistics segment as its own separate, publicly traded company. The two companies, for now, will be named XPORemainCo and NewCo. Brad Jacobs will remain the CEO and chairman of XPORemainCo, and he’ll assume the role of chairman of NewCo.
XPORemain will retain the company’s LTL trucking business and its freight brokerage business. NewCo, the spin-off, will assume the company’s massive warehousing business, which encompasses some 200 million square feet of warehousing space globally. The transaction is expected to be completed by the second half of 2021, the company said.
XPO says the spin-off will be tax-free to XPO shareholders and current shareholders will own stock in both companies.
Arizona Trucking Association recognizes safe fleets, drivers
Three trucking companies were recognized for exemplary safety by the Arizona Trucking Association as part of the group’s Fleet and Safety Awards last month.
Carriers were recognized in the following categories for their safety records:
- 1-500,000 miles: , Precision Heavy Haul, Inc. — Michael Poppe, President
- 500,000 to 1 million-mile category, J&L Transportation Inc. — Mike Jimenez, President
- 3 to 7 million miles goes to Barney Trucking Inc. — Glen Barney, Owner and Founder
Brian Lee Sprowel, a driver for J&L Transportation, was named the Arizona Driver of the Year, the group also announced. The award is predicated on Sprowel’s stellar record, with no DOT-recordable accidents or moving violations for the past three years, as shown through a current MVR, and active engagement in mentoring, scene-of-accident support and other copious examples of professionalism.
Sprowel is an avid mentor in the Truckers Against Trafficking nonprofit and holds the responsibility of piloting TAT’s “Everyday Heroes” truck. He is also involved in the association’s teens and trucks program, teaching new drivers how to safely operate around a commercial vehicle. He regularly participates in the state Truck Driving Championships and was the five-axle state champion in 2016.
