News

Hours of service waiver for ag haulers

An hours-of-service waiver has been put in place for agriculture haulers for 90-days. The waiver, issued by U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, gives that agency more time to release guidance on regulations related to agriculture.

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska and leaders of several Nebraska commodity and livestock groups met with the agency’s deputy administrator last month asking for more flexibility in the regulations. Senator Fischer says she’s pleased with this response to their concerns.

Regulations on the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate were to have taken effect this Sunday, March 18th, for agricultural haulers.

A statement from National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president Kevin Kester:  “This is obviously good news for America’s cattle haulers and producers, and it will provide FMCSA (the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) more time to educate our livestock haulers on the ELDs while industry works on solutions to the current Hours of Service rules that simply do not work for those hauling live animals.”