Trucker was denied individual exemption from HOS

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) denied the trucker’s request for the exemption from working hours rules.

Driver John Olier made the request earlier this year, citing the fact that he has been operating without any disruption in recent years and in accordance with all COVID-19 exemptions.

He said that these exceptions allowed him to significantly improve his physical condition and increase his safety on the road.

“Over the past three years, I worked under various emergency declarations for FEMA operations, COVID-19 exemptions, and transported agricultural goods for my company,”  Olier wrote to FMCSA in his request. “Under these conditions, I found that my time behind the wheel was much less stressful and anxiety-inducing. I do not hurry. I can run when I’m awake and sleep when I’m not. I don’t waste time waiting and I don’t make up lost driving time. I noticed that my health improved.”

Olier applied for a permanent personal exemption from the requirements of working time regulations.

From March 2020 to October 15, 2022, thousands of truck drivers were allowed to work under the federal COVID-19 emergency statement, which allowed them to transport essential goods across the country without abiding strict working hours regulations.

The FMCSA received 113 comments on Olier’s request, and 83 were in driver`s support.

Seventeen commentators, including the Truck Safety Coalition, opposed Olier’s exclusion.

The Coalition called the exception “ill-founded” and asked to reject this request outright. The FMCSA stated that Olier couldn`t demonstrate that he would be able to operate with the same level of safety.

The notice of rejection is planned to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 18.