Waste Management Seeks HOS Short-Haul Exemption

Waste Management Holdings is urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to grant the company a five-year hours of service (HOS) exemption that would allow 18,000 of its drivers to work extra hours without losing short-haul status.

Under the recently enforced electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, drivers can operate under the federal HOS short-haul exemption if they have returned to their starting point and are off the clock within 12 hours of beginning their work day. Waste Management has stated that some drivers are already permitted to work up to 14 hours per shift without losing short-haul status.

The company has maintained that ELDs have caused delays and distractions in its vehicles due to the stop-and-go nature of trash pickup. Waste Management also told FMCSA that these distractions have impacted driver and community safety.

FMCSA will accept public comments concerning the company’s application through August 16.

FreightWaves has more:

Waste Management Holdings has applied for an hours of service exemption, asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to consider allowing its drivers to work extra hours without losing short-haul status.

Drivers can operate under the HOS short-turn exemption if they have returned to their starting point and are off the clock within 12 hours of beginning their workday. These drivers are also restricted to a 100-air-mile radius and required to take 10 hours off between shifts.

Drivers with this exemption do not have to maintain record of duty status in the vehicle. However, if a driver is works over 12 hours, they must prepare records for the entire day, often by way of ELD, according to a FMCSA notice about the application.

Read the full article here.