ATA thanks Department of Transportation for acting to ease burdens on drivers

Today, the American Trucking Associations thanked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation for issuing a temporary waiver for some commercial vehicle drivers to address disruptions in licensing and other requirements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While America’s truck drivers are out delivering the essential medical supplies, food and other goods we need to combat this virus, FMCSA has taken an important step to let drivers and carriers know how to address things like expired commercial drivers’ licenses or medical cards,” said ATA Vice President of Safety Policy Dan Horvath. “With state governments moving to remote work and shuttering offices, drivers will need assistance to continue moving critical goods safely and today’s guidance is a step toward ensuring those trucks keep moving.”
Today’s announcement includes a “Notice of Enforcement Policy” and “Waiver”  regarding expiring driver’s licenses and medical examiner’s certificates – for drivers who had current credentials as of March 1 – allowing FMCSA to exercise its enforcement discretion to not take enforcement action in certain cases when a commercial learners’ permit, CDL or Medical Certificate is expired. This is not a blanket exemption from the CLP, CDL and/or Medical Certificate requirements, and drivers and carriers should review the details of the waiver to ensure their operations qualify.
“ATA will remain in close contact with FMCSA and other agencies to address other issues, such as availability of drug and alcohol testing for new drivers, as they arise,” Horvath said. “We share FMCSA’s goal of ensuring not only that our hospitals and markets are well-supplied, but that our highways are safe and we will continue to work with them to achieve both goals during this crisis.”