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Trump executive orders could positively impact grain/livestock haulers

Executive action taken by President Trump to limit government regulation could positively impact farmers who transport grain and livestock with semis.

American Farm Bureau director of congressional relations Andrew Walmsley says among a flurry of orders issued by the President is a freeze on regulatory proceedings from the previous administration targeting the trucking industry.

“One is an electronic log book device that’s a mandate (which) goes into effect at the end of this year.  We have some concerns, particularly for our livestock haulers on some additional burdens placed on that.  Along with (concerns) over the cost of putting these devices in the trucks.”

He tells Brownfield farmers hauling within a 150 mile radius are exempt from the Electronic Logging Device Rule (ELD), but Farm Bureau has concerns about transporting livestock at greater distances when exceeding hours of service.

“What happens if you run into inclement weather?  It’s not like you can pull off to the side of the road and rest for the night when you’ve got a trailer full of live animals that, if it’s in the summer won’t fare too well.  Or especially in the winter, freeze.”

He says it’s still unclear whether Trump’s executive order will take the final rule off the books.

“They’re going to have to look at some of the procedural requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act and formally withdraw that rule if there’s a desire to do so.”

Walmsley says Farm Bureau is engaging with the Department of Transportation to provide regulatory relief to the ag sector, and there might also be a broader effort to revamp the ELD rule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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