Livestock Groups Petition Department of Transportation for Hours of Service Flexibility
Published
10/21/2018
Farm Bureau and other organizations representing livestock, bee and fish haulers across the country, recently submitted a petition to the Department of Transportation requesting additional flexibility on hours of service requirements. The petition asks for a five-year exemption from certain HOS requirements for livestock haulers and encourages DOT to work with the livestock industry to implement additional fatigue-management practices.
Current rules limit drive time to 11 hours and limit on-duty hours to 14. Instead, the organizations request that livestock haulers be granted approval to drive up to 15 hours with a 16-hour on-duty period, following a 10-hour consecutive rest period. Any livestock hauler wishing to operate under the extended drive time would be required to complete pre-trip planning and increased fatigue-management training.
“When livestock and other live animals are transported, it’s important to get them to their destination safely and without delay or disruption,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Safety for the driver and others on the road is a priority. That is why we are petitioning DOT to adopt modern fatigue-management practices that provide the same or greater level of safety while avoiding unintended and unnecessary stress on the animals entrusted to our care.”
Want more news on this topic? Farm Bureau members may subscribe for a free email news service, featuring the farm and rural topics that interest them most!