Colonial pipeline shutdown calls for emergency exemption for HOS – Fuel Smarts
A cyber ransomware attack forced the shutdown of the main US Colonial Pipeline pipeline between Texas and New York.
Photo: Colonial pipeline
A cyber ransomware attack forced the shutdown of a major US pipeline between Texas and New York last week. To avoid disruption in the supply of diesel and other petroleum products, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is taking steps to create more flexibility for motor carriers and drivers transporting these products to the 17 affected states and Washington DC.
The FMCSA has issued a temporary hours of service exemption that applies to those transporting gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined petroleum products to Alabama, Arkansas, Washington DC, Delaware , Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Colonial Pipeline closed 5,500 miles of its pipeline in response to the cyberattack, The New York Times reported on May 9. The “emergency conditions” create a need for immediate fuel transportation, the FMCSA said in a press release.
Colonial Pipeline closed 5,500 miles of its pipeline in response to a cyber attack on May 8.
Illustration: Colonial pipeline
The HOS exemption will end when a driver or motor utility vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport goods or to provide services not in support of emergency relief efforts related to the petroleum product shortage. refined due to the shutdown of the Colonial pipeline system â€. according to the FMCSA. Read the full statement here.
As the Administration works to mitigate possible supply disruptions due to the colonial pipeline incident, @USDOT is taking action today to allow flexibility for truckers in 17 states. https://t.co/mILRtlhjkP
– Jen Psaki (@PressSec) May 9, 2021
The consequences of the shutdown and limited fuel supply could lead to higher fuel prices. It depends on the length of the shutdown. It may take days for normal conditions to return after the pipeline is brought back online, analysts from GasBuddy told CNN.
Meanwhile, the oil tanker industry has faced driver shortages that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic when demand for fuel plummeted, officials from National Tank Truck Carriers told oilUSD.