As reported several days ago, several supply chain stakeholders, including FMA, requested a temporary exemption from the Hours of Service Regulations (HOS) for interprovincial trucking organizations transporting “essential supplies and equipment in direct assistance to the emergency relief efforts during the response to COVID-19”.
  
Transport Canada has now issued this exemption and it takes effect today, March 24, and is scheduled to expire no later than April 30, 2020.  In the four-page document, shippers should particularly note paragraph 2 (f) that is encouraging truckers have shippers indicate on the bill-of-lading that the shipment relates to the emergency relief.  

The English and French versions of the Essential Freight Transport Exemption can be accessed at the red bars below.

Our focus in the FMA updates will be on supply-chain impacts. In this connection, it would be appreciated if FMA members could keep us informed of impacts on your respective operations, particularly any supply chain disruptions. This will be helpful in our continuing outreach to members and our communications with the government and with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. As always, all individual company information will be kept confidential.

HOS Exemption – French
HOS Exemption – English