What should I do if I am performing essential work related to COVID-19?

In general, this declaration is for commercial motor vehicle operations providing direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreaks, including transportation to meet immediate needs for:

1. medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19;
2. supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants;
3. food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores;
4. immediate precursor raw materials-such as paper, plastic or alcohol-that are required and to be used for the manufacture of items in categories (1), (2) or (3);
5. fuel;
6. equipment, supplies and persons necessary to establish and manage temporary housing, quarantine, and isolation facilities related to COVID-19;
7. persons designated by Federal, State or local authorities for medical, isolation, or quarantine purposes; and
8. persons necessary to provide other medical or emergency services, the supply of which may be affected by the COVID-19 response.

If there is an ELD in the truck, what should a driver do to account for the miles driven?

There are three options

1. Use the “authorized personal use” (personal conveyance) function of the ELD to record all of the time providing direct assistance under the exemption.  Use of this function will result in the time being recorded as off duty and requires an annotation. 
2. Use the ELD in its normal mode and annotate the ELD record to indicate they were driving under the emergency relief exemption; or
3. Turn off the ELD, in which case the carrier would address the unassigned miles in accordance with the current regulation.