There are a couple categories of drivers that are exempt from the 30-minute break rule: Short-haul drivers who qualify for the 100 air-mile radius provision, and Short-haul drivers who qualify for the 150 air-mile radius provision and operate non-CDL vehicles.
Property-carrying drivers can use the 16-hour short haul exemption to extend their driving window to 16 hours once every seven consecutive days. To be eligible for this exemption, the driver must meet the following conditions:
- Have returned to the driver's normal work reporting location and been released from duty by the carrier for the previous five duty tours;
- Have returned to the normal work reporting location and been released from duty within 16 hours after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty; and
- Not have used this exemption within the previous six consecutive days, except when starting a new seven or eight-consecutive day period with at least 34 consecutive hours off duty as allowed by §395.3(c).
Further, the “adverse driving conditions” exemptions let drivers extend the maximum driving limit by 2 hours amidst unusual circumstances, like unexpected fog or snow, or a road closure caused by an accident. These emergency conditions are often declared by state governors, the FMCSA, or even the President. An official federal or state institution needs to acknowledge an emergency state.
Similarly, there’s an exemption for direct emergency assistance, which also only applies if an official institution has acknowledged an emergency state.