Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/06/05/2012-13584/hours-of-service-of-drivers-of-commercial-motor-vehicles-regulatory-guidance-for-oilfield-exception
Timestamp: 2016-02-09 05:50:49
Document Index: 382790365

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 195', '§ 395', '§ 395', '§ 395', '§ 395', '§ 395', '§ 395', '§ 395']

Federal Register | Hours of Service of Drivers of Commercial Motor Vehicles; Regulatory Guidance for Oilfield Exception
Dates: This regulatory guidance is effective June 5, 2012. Comments must be received on or before August 6, 2012.
Action: Notice of regulatory guidance; request for public comment.
-33100 (3 pages)
Document Number: 2012-13584
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/2012-13584 Regulations.gov Docket Info
Hours of Service of Drivers of Commercial Motor Vehicles; Proposed Revision of Regulatory Guidance for Oil Field Exception
The Administrator of FMCSA has been delegated the authority to carry out the functions vested in the Secretary by the Motor Carrier Act of 1935 [49 CFR 1.73(l)] and the MCSA [§ 1.73(g)]. The provisions affected by this Notice of Regulatory Guidance are based on these statutes.
In 1962, the ICC revisited the HOS rules. The Commission considered testimony from oilfield equipment operators in a discussion of specialized oilfield equipment requiring special training, and approved a 24-hour restart provision for operators of these vehicles. The record indicates that this same restart provision was intended to apply to operators employed exclusively in the transportation of equipment for use in servicing the well operations. In other words, both descriptive clauses were intended to apply to the same group of drivers [Ex Parte No. MC-40 (Sub-No.1), 89 M.C.C. 28, March 29, 1962]. This restart provision was codified on April 13, 1962 (27 FR 3553) as § 195.3(d), and later recodified as § 395.1(d)(1). Neither the original nor the recodified text mentioned specially designed vehicles or specially trained drivers.
In a “technical amendment” published in the Federal Register as part of a broader final rule, the 24-hour restart and waiting-time provisions were merged to become today's § 395.1(d)(1) and (2) [57 FR 33638; July 30, 1992].
Reason for This Notice of Regulatory Guidance Back to Top
This notice revises regulatory guidance to clarify which CMV drivers are subject to the HOS exceptions in 49 CFR 395.1(d), “Oilfield operations.” A significant increase in oil and gas drilling operations in many States has resulted in a major increase in CMV traffic to move the oilfield equipment, and to transport large quantities of supplies, such as water and sand, to the sites. The operators of many of these vehicles have raised questions about the applicability of § 395.1(d) to them.
Section 395.1(d), “Oilfield operations.” Back to Top
Question 8: What kinds of oilfield equipment may drivers operate while taking advantage of the special “waiting time” rule in § 395.1(d)(2)?
Guidance: The “waiting time” provision in § 395.1(d)(2) is available only to operators of those commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) that are (1) specially constructed for use at oil and gas well sites, and (2) for which the operators require extensive training in the operation of the complex equipment, in addition to driving the vehicle. In many instances, the operators spend little time driving these CMVs because “leased drivers” from driveaway services are brought in to move the heavy equipment from one site to another. These operators typically may have long waiting periods at well sites, with few or no functions to perform until their services are needed at an unpredictable point in the drilling process. Because they are not free to leave the site and may be responsible for the equipment, they would normally be considered “on duty” under the definition of that term in § 395.2. Recognizing that these operators, their employers, and the well-site managers do not have the ability to readily schedule or control these driver's periods of inactivity, § 395.1(d)(2) provides that the “waiting time” shall not be considered on-duty (i.e., it is off-duty time). During this “waiting time,” the operators may not perform any work-related activity. To do so would place them on duty.