Senators Seek to Delay ELD for Livestock Drivers

A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill last month to modify provisions regarding livestock transportation in response to regulations creating a hardship on livestock haulers.

Livestock haulers are scheduled to begin in October to use Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) to track their compliance with Hours of Service rules imposed by the Department of Transportation. Under current rules, they would be required to turn on their ELDs after crossing out of the 150-mile radius from their loading point, after which they can only drive for 11 hours before taking a mandatory 10-hour break.

Leaving cattle in a trailer for 10 hours can harm their well-being, and unloading and reloading is often not possible.

The bill, which was introduced by 10 senators from agriculture states, provides for more drive time for livestock haulers. It also grants drivers with the flexibility to rest at any point during the trip without the break counting against Hours of Service time.

Source: Farm Futures