News
FMCSA denies ag groups’ request for trucking waiver
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied a request from several ag groups to exempt truckers from certain hours-of-service rules. The ruling, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, said the exemption would not create safe conditions for drivers.
Kent Bacus with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says the decision adds more stress to a supply chain that is already struggling. “Now we’re going to try to troubleshoot some of the scenarios driver’s face,” he says. “And it means in some instances we may have to have tandem drivers. It may mean we have to offload cattle in certain areas. That just creates more stress on our shippers and it creates more stress on the livestock.”
Bacus says the industry needs to be able to move cattle from one point to another safely and efficiently, but the blanket rule from FMCSA makes that very difficult.
He tells Brownfield the groups will continue to push for other solutions. “We’re going to have to look at our allies in Congress,” he says. “And we’re going to have to look at other means potentially try to bring some relief to this very important segment of our supply chain.”
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas says hauling livestock presents unique challenges that the one-size-fits-all hours-of-service rule does not accommodate and the rejection of this request keeps a layer of bureaucracy and red tape on an industry that already struggles to find workers and meet consumer demands.
In addition to NCBA, the Livestock Marketing Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Beekeeping Federation, American Honey Producers Association, and National Aquaculture Association had requested the waiver from FMCSA.
AUDIO: Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
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It said that we got some very special people in office no matter what driver need to stick together but in the real world USA they won’t do that so they going to do what ever they do until ee stand
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Not one soul on this committee has ever been closer to a semi than passing one on the highway. Anyone making rules should be required to have a CDL.
Well that does not suprise me at all seeing how or nation under God is failing! No one stands up anymore except the rail road then they seem to want to do something so let them pay 150.00 dollars for a steak because as a rancher and livestock hauler my rates will double or triple having to take more money out of pocket and out of my families mouth for a seemingless line of work that we already are struggling to pay bills with high fuel,oil,and tires. My honest option that I’m sure no one will probably ever read is that you should not be able to write rules if you have never had the experience of that particular JOB!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU.