Carrier gets HOS break exemption on high-risk cargo

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Oct. 2 granted R&R Transportation Group’s requested exemption from the minimum 30-minute rest break requirement under the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. The exemption is available only to R&R’s drivers engaged in the transportation of materials that by their nature must be attended, such as radioactive materials, pharmaceuticals, and ammunition. The exemption provides these drivers the same regulatory flexibility that the HOS regulations allow drivers transporting explosives, i.e., to use 30 minutes or more of on-duty attendance time to meet the HOS rest break requirements, provided they do not perform any other work during the break. R&R’s exemption request, which was filed in July 2013, was unopposed.

For a copy of the Oct. 2 Federal Register notice, click here.