Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, March 12, 2025:
FMCSA extends bird flu-related emergency
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended a regional emergency declaration that gives regulatory relief to motor carriers and truck drivers transporting live chickens from areas impacted by bird flu to unaffected areas.
The declaration was first issued on Feb. 8 and expired on March 10 in response to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) resulting in the widespread loss of chicken flocks. FMCSA said the bird flu’s impact on the national food supply, including the supply of eggs, and its effects on people and property, including immediate threats to human life, public safety, and public welfare, prompted the declaration.
Because conditions related to HPAI have not abated, FMCSA has extended the declaration through April 10. Under terms of the declaration, motor carriers and drivers transporting live chickens from areas impacted by bird flu to unaffected areas are granted relief from the maximum driving time limits in 49 CFR 395.3.
To qualify for the waiver under the declaration, carriers and drivers must meet the following conditions, among others, which can be seen at this link:
- Before dispatch, the motor carrier must have a valid agreement from the receiving facility to accept delivery of the live chickens.
- A driver must not drive more than 16 hours in any 24-hour period
- The driver must stop all driving at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) each day
- The driver must take a minimum of a 6-hour break in a sleeper berth before resuming any driving
- Drivers must use paper records of duty status (RODS) and supporting documents, maintain RODS and supporting documents for 6 months from the date the record is prepared, and make RODS and supporting documents accessible to FMCSA and law enforcement upon request
FMCSA also noted that carriers and drivers must still comply with all applicable federal and state requirements, such as U.S. Department of Agriculture and state Departments of Agriculture requirements for transporting live chickens, and obtain any necessary authority to load, transport, and deliver the live chickens, and carrying all required documentation.
Motor carriers and drivers must also, before transport begins, ensure that they have any and all approvals necessary for the loading, transport, and delivery of the live chickens.
The extended declaration is in effect through April 10, or until the end of the emergency, whichever is earlier.
New Mexico eyes split speed limit for trucks
A bill introduced in New Mexico would create a maximum speed limit for “truck tractors” of 65 mph – 10 mph slower than the maximum speed for cars in the state.
Senate Bill 226, introduced by State Sen. George Munoz (D-Gallup), would also create a $250 fine for trucks caught traveling faster than the new 65 mph limit.
According to a Fiscal Impact Report accompanying the bill, the intent of the legislation “is to improve road safety by reducing speed differentials between passenger vehicles and large commercial trucks, minimizing accidents and enhancing traffic flow efficiency.”
Despite this, the report also highlights an analysis from the state’s Department of Transportation that says it’s “an open question” as to “whether reducing the speed of truck tractors provides any definite safety benefit.” The DOT added that the legislation “could potentially result in at least a 10-mph speed differential between truck tractors and other vehicles on interstates, leading potentially to speed differential related crashes as well as additional congestion.”
The bill has passed the committee level and is set to head to the full Senate. It will need to pass both the state Senate and House and be signed by the governor to become law.
Two big truck-involved drug busts at border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently announced two drug busts involving trucks at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
In Roma, Texas, at the Roma Port of Entry, officers seized more than $20 million worth of methamphetamine discovered within a tractor-trailer hauling bottled mineral water.
On March 5, CBP officers assigned to the Roma International Bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor-trailer hauling a shipment of bottled mineral water. The truck was selected for inspection, which included non-intrusive inspection equipment and screening by a CBP canine team.
After physically inspecting the shipment, CBP officers seized 1,632 bottles containing 2,269 pounds of alleged liquid methamphetamine. The narcotics have a total estimated street value of $20,279,137.
CBP seized the narcotics and tractor-trailer. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents initiated a criminal investigation.
That same day at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility, CBP officers examining a plastic roll shipment found something that didn’t belong -- $6.2 million in cocaine.
Packages containing 470.68 pounds of cocaine were seized by CBP officers at the Pharr International Bridge.U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Physical inspection of the vehicle resulted in officers extracting a total of 150 packages of alleged cocaine weighing 471 pounds (213.5 kg) concealed within the commodity. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $6,284,586.
CBP turned the tractor-trailer, narcotics and driver over to Texas Department of Public Safety officers who arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation.
