Washington, D.C. –
June 10, 2025 – Congressman Bost (R-IL)
and Congressman Mike Collins (R-GA), along with
31 House lawmakers, formally requested that the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) implement a preemptive and proactive
policy for hours of service (HOS) exemptions to
enhance disaster preparedness and recovery
efforts. The request,
detailed in a letter to FMCSA Executive
Director and Chief Safety Officer Lawless
emphasizes the urgent need for timely and
predictable regulatory relief to ensure the
uninterrupted flow of essential services and
supplies, such as liquid fuels, during major
disasters and regional emergencies.
“When
communities are staring down the threat of a
dangerous emergency, the last thing they should
have to worry about is ready access to fuel for
their homes and vehicles,” said Bost. “I grew up
in a family trucking business; I know red tape
and delays at the federal level often make it
harder for truckers to do their jobs and deliver
their product when it matters most. This
commonsense policy change will help keep
families safe and spur a quicker recovery during
severe weather and supply chain disruptions.”
With the increasing frequency and severity
of natural disasters and emergencies, House
lawmakers highlighted the critical role of
liquid fuel marketers in maintaining fuel supply
chains for fueling stations and home heating,
particularly during life-threatening events.
“When disaster strikes, our fueling stations
need to be supplied and ready to provide first
responders and everyone in the impacted zone
with the power they need to recover and
rebuild,” said Rep. Mike Collins. “I am proud to
join my colleagues in improving disaster
response and getting government bureaucracy out
of the way of common-sense solutions.”
The letter proposed two key actions for the
FMCSA:
- Preemptive Emergency Declarations:
Develop internal guidance to issue federal
emergency declarations and trigger automatic HOS
relief at least five days before reliably
predicted disasters. This proactive approach
would support advanced preparation, enabling
fuel marketers to maintain adequate supplies for
evacuations and mitigate potential shortages
during severe weather events.
- Uniform
Regional Relief Policy: Implement a standardized
federal policy for regional HOS exemptions to
promote consistency and clarity. The current
reliance on state-level declarations often
results in a fragmented regulatory landscape,
causing confusion and delays for multi-state
fuel suppliers. A uniform federal approach would
streamline compliance and enhance the efficiency
of fuel distribution across state lines.
The letter underscores the FMCSA’s authority to
issue emergency declarations and urges the
adoption of clear internal guidance to
facilitate proactive regional relief. This
policy would eliminate compliance challenges and
enable drivers to make optimal routing decisions
for swift restoration of essential fuel
supplies. “Over 300 energy marketers across the
country attended the Energy Marketers of
America’s DC Conference and Day on the Hill last
month and made it a priority to get lawmakers to
call on the FMCSA to establish a
forward-thinking policy that ensures timely and
consistent HOS relief during emergencies,” said
EMA President Rob Underwood. “We stand ready to
collaborate with the agency to develop this
critical framework for disaster response and
recovery.”
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