Hours of Service of Drivers: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association; Application for Exemption; Final Disposition

FMCSA announces its decision to grant the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) a limited exemption from the minimum 30- minute rest break provision of the Agency's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. Under the terms and conditions of this exemption, drivers operating ready-mixed concrete trucks may use 30 minutes or more of on-duty ``waiting time'' to satisfy the requirement for the 30 minute rest break, provided they do not perform any other work during the break. The exemption giving these drivers the same regulatory flexibility that 49 CFR 395.1(q) provides for drivers transporting explosives. The FMCSA has determined that granting these drivers an exemption from the 30-minute rest break requirement is likely to achieve a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety that would be obtained in the absence of the exemption.