Gov. Bev Perdue has declared a state of emergency and temporarily suspended motor carrier regulations to ensure that transporters of essential fuels in North Carolina can operate above the maximum hours.
"I want to ensure that adequate supplies of home heating and vehicle fuels are available to our citizens during this extended cold snap," said Perdue, who signed Executive Order No. 43 to waive the regulations. "Some areas of our mountains got more than 20 inches of snow recently and extremely cold temperatures have persisted statewide."
The uninterrupted supply of fuel oil, diesel oil, gasoline, kerosene, propane, and liquid petroleum gas to residential and commercial establishments is essential during wintertime and any interruption in the delivery of those fuels threatens the public welfare.
Executive Order No. 43 allows persons transporting essential fuels to operate above the maximum hours of service. The waiver of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations does not apply to the commercial drivers? license and insurance requirements.
The N.C. State Highway Patrol will enforce conditions outlined in the executive order. Upon request by law enforcement officers, exempted vehicles must produce documentation sufficient to establish their loads are being used for relief efforts associated with the cold weather and winter storm. The duration of this executive order is 30 days or until the emergency situation ends.
