At the request of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) authorized motor carrier exemptions to hours worked, and the Virginia Departments of Transportation and Motor Vehicles granted temporary waivers of registration and license requirements, along with normal weight and width restrictions for carriers transporting emergency supplies of hay or animal feed.
The exemptions, which became effective at 6 a.m. Aug. 11, 2007, have been extended through April 15, 2008.
The regulation exemption applies to the entire state since every Virginia locality has received either a primary or contiguous drought disaster designation from the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The relief is due to drought conditions and high temperatures that have blanketed a good part of Virginia. The exemptions extend to transporters carrying feed, hay or other relief supplies anywhere in Virginia.
Several state agencies — Agriculture and Consumer Services, Motor Vehicles, State Police, and Transportation — worked with VDEM to notify affected haulers of the exemptions. This multi-agency cooperation helps ensure essential emergency relief supplies reach the disaster areas in a timely manner and precludes inadvertent ticketing or detention.