The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued an Extension of Emergency Declaration No. 2026-001, continuing temporary Hours-of-Service (HOS) relief due to ongoing severe winter storms and extreme cold across much of the United States.

Effective Dates

• Effective: February 3, 2026
• Expires: 11:59 p.m. (ET), February 20, 2026, or earlier if emergency conditions end

States Covered (Includes Pennsylvania)

The declaration applies to operations providing direct emergency assistance in or into the following states and jurisdictions:

AL, AR, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WV, WI, and WY.

What Relief Is Granted

While providing direct assistance to emergency relief efforts, motor carriers and drivers are temporarily relieved from:

• 49 CFR § 395.3 – Property-carrying HOS limits
• 49 CFR § 395.5 – Passenger-carrying HOS limits

Relief applies regardless of trip origin, as long as the operation directly supports emergency response.

Important Limitations

• Relief ONLY applies to direct emergency assistance (fuel, food, medical supplies, utilities, emergency services).
• Routine commercial freight does NOT qualify.
• Mixed loads with only nominal emergency freight do not qualify.
• Long-term recovery or infrastructure repair is not covered.

Regulations Still Fully Enforced

This declaration does NOT waive:

• Drug & alcohol testing (49 CFR Part 382)
• CDL requirements (49 CFR Part 383)
• Insurance requirements (49 CFR Part 387)
• HazMat regulations
• Vehicle size & weight limits
• Any FMCSR not explicitly listed

Drivers or carriers under an out-of-service order are not eligible.

Returning to Normal Operations

When emergency assistance ends:

• Property drivers: 10-hour break required once total on-duty time reaches 14 hours
• Passenger drivers: 8-hour break required once total on-duty time reaches 10 hours

Drivers may return empty to their terminal or normal reporting location before taking the required break.

Carrier Action Items

✔ Document qualifying emergency loads
✔ Clearly communicate when relief begins and ends
✔ Avoid misclassification of routine freight
✔ Plan transition back to full HOS compliance

Make it Safe. Make it Personal. Make it Home.