On April 1, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a guidance document to provide additional clarity to: (1) State and local governments considering quarantine or travel restrictions; and (2) to drivers providing direct assistance for the COVID-19 National Emergency. The guidance encourages State and local government to consider the Department of Homeland Security guidelines that identify truck and bus drivers as essential workers when implementing actions that may impact freight and passenger transportation and recommends unrestricted movements and access for these workers.  This new FMCSA document also highlights the CDC’s Travel Advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which expressly excludes truck drivers and notes that these employees “have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules.”  Finally, the FMCSA document highlights the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to truck drivers which provides recommendations on how a driver can stay safe while delivering essential supplies.

Additionally, Also of interest is a new document issued by AAMVA which lists all temporary operational changes to SDLA’s, which may provide a bit more authoritative document. You can find it here.