FMCSA Grants Regional Winter Weather HOS Waiver

By rahmat hidayat

Sunday, January 25, 2026

EMERGENCY BULLETIN Saturday, January 24, 2026 Contact: fmcsa.publicaffairs@dot.gov FMCSA Issues 40-State Winter Weather HOS Waiver FMCSA has issued a Regional Emergency Declaration providing temporary hours-of-service (HOS) relief for certain motor carriers and drivers due to severe winter storms and extreme cold impacting multiple states.  This waiver supports urgent winter emergency response while maintaining overall safety. Apply relief only to qualifying emergency operations and be sure to review the full waiver which can be found here.  Who Is Covered  Motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to emergency relief efforts in the affected states.  States Affected  AL, AR, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY  What Relief Is Granted  Temporary relief from:  49 CFR § 395.3 – Property-carrying vehicle driving limits  49 CFR § 395.5 – Passenger-carrying vehicle driving limits  Relief applies regardless of trip origin, as long as the operation supports emergency relief in the affected states.  What Counts as Direct Assistance  Transportation or services supporting the immediate restoration of essential supplies or services during the emergency.  Does NOT include  Routine commercial deliveries  Mixed loads with nominal emergency supplies  Long-term recovery or infrastructure repair after the emergency phase  Key Restrictions  All other FMCSRs remain in effect, including CDL, drug and alcohol testing, insurance, HAZMAT, and size/weight requirements.  Out-of-service drivers or carriers are NOT eligible until the order is officially lifted.  When emergency assistance ends, normal HOS rules apply, with required rest breaks before resuming standard operations.  Duration  Effective January 23, 2026, through February 6, 2026, or until the emergency ends, whichever comes first. FMCSA may modify, extend, or terminate the declaration based on conditions.  For questions, follow established FMCSA and state coordination channels. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Office of Public Affairs | Newsroom | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 Phone: 202.366.9999 | Email: FMCSA.Publicaffairs@dot.gov FMCSA.dot.gov | Facebook | Twitter | Medium Blog Instagram | LinkedIn | Our Roads, Our Safety on Facebook You are subscribed to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration email updates. Subscriber Services: Manage Preferences This email was sent to rh3252705.adda@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE · Washington, DC 20590

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