The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced new regulatory guidance clarifying the 150 air-miles hours-of-service agricultural commodity exemption and providing additional explanatory detail of the “personal conveyance” provision.

“Due to input from commercial vehicle stakeholders and the public, the Department has taken steps to provide greater clarity and flexibility regarding the intent and effect of these regulations, for the agricultural and other sectors,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.

FMCSA published Federal Register notices proposing regulatory guidance for the transportation of agricultural commodities and the use of personal conveyance in December of 2017 and requested public comment. In all, nearly 850 public comments were submitted to the Federal Register dockets on the proposed guidance pertaining to the transportation of agricultural commodities and to the personal conveyance provision, from which FMCSA revised its guidance.

In the interest of clarifying the rule, the new new regulatory guidance takes a questions-and-answers format and can be viewed here.

The new regulatory guidance for personal conveyance, meanwhile, can be viewed here.