Truck drivers are heroes. They’ve always been heroes, but they’re particularly heroic right now, braving the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic to deliver food, beverages, medical supplies and equipment, and other essentials during this uncertain and harrowing time.

To better support our heroes in the COVID-19 outbreak, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is providing hours-of-service regulatory relief to commercial vehicle drivers transporting emergency items.

In the words of Jim Mullen, FMCSA Acting Administrator:

“FMCSA is providing additional regulatory relief to our nation’s commercial drivers to get critically important medical supplies, food, and household goods to Americans in need. The nation’s truck drivers are on the front lines of this effort and are critical to America’s supply chain. We will continue to support them and use our authority to protect the health and safety of the American people.”

FMCSA COVID-19 Regulatory Relief: Who’s Affected

The new regulations apply to commercial vehicle operators involved in the transport of the following:

• medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19
• supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectants
• food, paper products, and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores
• immediate precursor raw materials—such as paper, plastic, or alcohol—that are required and to be used for the manufacture of essential items
• fuel
• equipment, supplies, and persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing and quarantine
• persons designated by federal, state or local authorities for medical, isolation, or quarantine purposes
• persons necessary to provide other medical or emergency services

Under the FMCSA’s new rules, once a driver has completed their delivery, the driver must spend at least 10 hours off duty if transporting property or and 8 hours if transporting passengers.

Ensure Driver Safety with KPA’s Training Courses

Your fleet needs your support. Due to coronavirus-related demands for medical supplies, fuel, and raw materials, trucking companies and truck drivers are running at full tilt. Hours of Service exemptions mean drivers may be putting themselves at additional risk for fatigue-related accidents.

Now more than ever, fleet and safety managers need to be stressing the importance of safe driving habits.

KPA is here to help. Our training courses empower you to bring your drivers up to speed quickly and cost-effectively. KPA’s Driver Safety Training package is intended for any employee who needs to regularly or occasionally operate a commercial motor vehicle.

We’ve developed this training to help you…

• keep your drivers safe on the road;
• decrease the risk of motor vehicle collisions and traffic violations;
• minimize exposure to liability risks and costs;
• lower fleet insurance premiums, workers’ compensation, and accident claims;
  and
• shrink your vehicle repair bills and replacement costs.

Through a series of 15 courses, drivers will learn about topics such as cargo securement, hours of service, space management, and work zone safety. Several of the courses meet the FMCSA’s requirements for drug and alcohol training.

Courses include the following:

1. Aggressive Driving for CMV Drivers
2. Alcohol in the Workplace (FMCSA-Compliant)
3. Cargo Securement for CMV Drivers
4. Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace (FMCSA-Compliant)
5. Drugs in the Workplace (FMCSA-Compliant)
6. Hours of Service for CMV Drivers
7. Intersections, Turns, and Lane Changes for CMV Drivers
8. Photographing Accidents for CMV Drivers
9. Rollover Prevention for Cargo Tanks for CMV Drivers
10. Safety Belt Awareness for CMV Drivers
11. Space Management for CMV Drivers
12. Speed and Stopping Distance for CMV Drivers
13. The Hidden Cost of Accidents for CMV Drivers
14. Truckers Against Trafficking Certification for CMV Drivers
15. Work Zone Safety for CMV Drivers

Comprehensive Safety and Compliance for the Transportation Industry

KPA’s award-winning training courses are just one component of Vera Suite, our comprehensive workforce safety and compliance platform. We’ve designed our solutions for the specific needs of the transportation industry.

Vera Suite has integrated Learning Management capabilities, so you can assign these courses to your employees, track their completions, and view compliance status across your facilities.

Other features include…

• Audits & Inspections
• Issue Management
• Accident Tracking
• OSHA Logs
• SDS Management
• Hazard Communication
• Document Library
• Reporting & Analytics

Learn more and get started here.