The American Pyrotechnics Association is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for a reprieve from the electronic logging device mandate for its member companies that currently hold a 14-hour hours-of-service exemption for the Independence Day holiday period.
If granted the exemption, APA members that already hold the 14-hour HOS exemption would be able to use paper logs instead of ELDs during that time. Currently, 51 of APA’s 250-plus member companies can take advantage of the exemption.
The group says allowing its companies to continue using paper logs for such a limited period of time wouldn’t change operational safety. Additionally, APA says with the “unique nature of the fireworks industry,” using ELDs would “impose a substantial financial burden on members because it would require them to purchase/lease systems for use for only a short period every year.”
The exemption request says that its members use drivers periodically during the year, particularly during the Independence Day season when the industry depends on short-term truck rentals. According to the request, 90 percent of the fireworks industry’s vehicles are rented or leased for less than 30 days at a time.
Public comments can be made on the request here by May 24.
