The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is considering a request for regulatory relief from the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA).
The NPGA has asked FMCSA for exemption from certain Hours-of-Service regulations from December 15 through March 15 each year “to enable the propane industry to better prepare and respond to emergencies threatening human health and safety during winter,” according to a Notice to be published in the Federal Register on July 1, 2025.
Specifically, NPGA is asking federal authorities for a five year exemption that would allow propane haulers the following regulatory relief measures:
- Drivers allowed up to 15 hours of on-duty time daily
- Drivers may use up to 12 hours of driving time daily
- Any period of six consecutive days during the exemption “window” may end with the beginning of an off-duty period of 24 or more consecutive hours, as opposed to the current option of 34 or more consecutive hours off duty to reset the “weekly” HOS limits
- Remove the restriction on drivers who have been on duty for 60 hours over seven consecutive days, or 70 hours over eight consecutive days
The NPGA asked for the relaxed hours-of-service rules in response to the harsh winter of 2024 — 2025, which the group called “the most disruptive in eleven years.”
“NPGA states that the proposed exemption would allow for organizing driver schedules in advance, rather than reacting to an emergency, more efficient responses to critical concerns, and for propane marketers to improve planning before an emergency. Instead of waiting for a crisis to occur, marketers and transporters may secure and procure sufficient supplies in advance and organize their drivers to meet heating demands more efficiently and effectively,” the exemption request document states.
The FMCSA will accept public comment on the exemption request following publication in the Federal Register.
