Category: Legislation & Regulation

Breaking News! U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an additional 90-day extension of the agriculture exemption from the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate that affects the transportation of livestock, including horses. To read more about the original mandate, click here for the January 2018 Equiery story: http://equiery.com/holiday-gift-dot-waives-mandate-livestock-haulers-90-days/ Below is the most recent statement from the USDA, posted on March 13, 2018. (USDA – Washington, D.C., March 13, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for her announcement of an additional 90-day extension of the agriculture exemption from the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate. Agricultural compliance with the mandate would have been problematic for the agriculture industry because the devices do not accurately account for the agricultural exemptions currently provided in the law. The ELD rule went into effect in December 2017, with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) granting the agriculture industry an initial exemption that was set to expire on March 18, 2018. With the granting of another extension, the agriculture industry will now have additional time to comply. Secretary Sonny Perdue issued the following statement: “The ELD mandate imposes restrictions upon the agriculture industry that lack flexibility necessary for the unique realities of hauling agriculture commodities. If the agriculture industry had been forced to comply by the March 18 deadline, live agricultural commodities, including plants and animals, would have been at...

The livestock industry (including which includes us!) was relieved to learn that, on Nov. 27, the United States Department of Transportation granted a 90-day waiver from the requirement that to install electronic logging devices in vehicles. The waiver was a welcome holiday gift, as the mandate was supposed to begin on Dec. 18. Between now and March 18, DOT intends to look closely at agriculture’s request for an exemption while developing additional guidance for agricultural and livestock haulers. The waiver was granted in response to a petition last September from the American Farm Bureau, the American Horse Council and several other livestock organizations. In their request, the groups explained their two biggest concerns about the requirement: livestock haulers’ readiness to comply and the effect on the transported animals’ well-being. Drivers who have to use ELDs would be limited to current hours of service rules, which restrict a driver to only 14 “on duty” hours, with no more than 11 active driving hours. Once a driver hits those maximum hour allotments, he must stop and rest for 10 consecutive hours, which would be problematic when transporting livestock and other live animals. The petition referenced livestock haulers’ strong commitment to and track record of ensuring the safety of both the animals they’re transporting and the drivers they share the road with.  In addition, livestock haulers often receive specialized training beyond that...