COVID-19 and Trucking: Industry News for July 15

Selected COVID-19 and trucking industry news that may impact your business.

As of July 15, 2020:

FMCSA Extends COVID-19 Emergency Declaration

FMCSA extended its COVID-19 Emergency Declaration exempting from 49 CFR Parts 300-399 motor carriers providing direct assistance in support of relief efforts. It is a clean extension of the Declaration currently in place with no changes to the eligible commodities or the terms of the declaration. Use of the exemption is limited to the transportation of (1) livestock and livestock feed; (2) medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19; and (3) 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.

Below you’ll find our updated compendium of federal emergency actions & regulatory relief affecting trucking. It includes details on the broader emergency declaration as well as recently announced guidance on drug and alcohol testing compliance, and the extension of waiver allowing state agencies to extend the validity of expiring CDL and CLPs.

Trucking secures as much as $12 billion in government-backed PPP loans

CCJ

The Payroll Protection Program (PPP) provided hundreds of billions of dollars for cash-starved businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with many customers idled by government-mandated shutdowns, tens of thousands of trucking companies were among those standing in line for a slice of the PPP funds. Read More

COVID-19 warning issued for truckers who visited busy Kansas service area

CDL Life

Health officials in Kansas have issued a warning after several cases of COVID-19 were linked to a busy service area earlier this month. The Shawnee County Health Department issued an alert after they reportedly identified multiple COVID-19 cases linked to the Topeka Service Area located on the I-70 Turnpike at mile marker 188. Read More

Class 8 Sales in June Drop 43.5%

Transport Topics

U.S. Class 8 retail sales in June fell 43.5% year-over-year to just above 13,000, WardsAuto.com reported, as the nation worked to reopen businesses while cases of COVID-19 climbed. Read More