The Covid19 pandemic has disrupted all businesses indiscriminately but few have been as challenged as those companies responsible for keeping our supply chain rolling. The nonprofit Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has created a web portal that includes information for Canada, Mexico, and the United States with the latest information on active emergency declarations issued during the coronavirus pandemic.
Having access to timely information relative to regulatory rules changes and the various waivers & temporary rules change that impact regulated transportation companies is critical. EnVue Telematics is proud to be supporting companies serving these critical needs and we hope this information will help others stay informed.
The CVSA Emergency Declarations web page provides quick access to valuable information for fleet managers, drivers, inspectors and law enforcement officers who are trying to stay on top of the current rules and regulations as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across North America.
Importantly, the website will continue even after the pandemic subsides, creating a permanent and reliable information portal for emergency information. The goal is to provide “improved movement of critical relief supplies during national, regional and local emergencies,” according to the CVSA.
“The CVSA Emergency Declarations website is an important asset both during the current crisis and going forward,” said Randy Read, President of EnVue Telematics. “It’s a significant service to have one central location for accurate, timely updates on emergency declarations.”
Changes Brought On By COVID-19
In the U.S., the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an emergency declaration in April – later extended into mid-May – that provides regulatory and hours-of-service relief to commercial drivers transporting emergency relief supplies during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The FMCSA declaration extended to include those transporting medical supplies and equipment, food and people such as healthcare workers needed in relation to the pandemic.
Both Canada and Mexico also released similar emergency declarations. For example, Canada provided exemptions to the TDG Training Certificate requirements during the COVID-19 outbreak. Also, states, provinces and territories within all three countries also may have issued their own rules and regulations. The patchwork quilt of laws has become large and complicated, which is what motivated CVSA to seek federal funding to create the new site.
How The CVSA Site Will Work
The nonprofit CVSA association includes commercial motor vehicle safety officials from local, state, provincial, territorial and federal agencies, as well as industry representatives. The CVSA seeks to achieve “uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial motor vehicle inspections and enforcement by certified inspectors dedicated to driver and vehicle safety.”
Using grant funding from the FMCSA, the alliance created the website in a partnership with software company, Seikosoft. The idea for the site is to create a “one stop shop” where the motor carrier industry and the enforcement community can access the latest in emergency declarations, waivers, amendments, extensions, exemptions and executive orders from North American jurisdictions.
Each jurisdiction, and some agencies and organizations, will be responsible for providing any updated emergency declaration information. The website is accessible to the public. On the roadside, it can be accessed by law enforcement officials and inspectors to quickly verify any emergency declaration. The goal of the site is to provide everyone involved with the motor vehicle industry the ability to immediately access important information “during emergencies ranging from a seasonal weather event to something as unique as the current unprecedented pandemic.”
