Earlier this year, the Congressionally mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule became effective. The rule required most Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulated motor carriers to convert their records from paper to an electronic format. While compliance with the ELD rule has reached nearly 99% across the trucking industry, it has also brought focus to hours of service (HOS) regulations, especially with regard to certain regulations having a significant impact on agriculture and other sectors of trucking.

For your reference, please visit the FMCSA webpage exclusively devoted to agricultural exceptions and exemptions to the hours of service regulations and commercial driver’s license requirements.

Livestock haulers currently have an exemption from ELDs through December 7th.  Both the House and Senate versions of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills have ELD prohibition language in them for next fiscal year. Those bills still need to be conferenced before that can move forward.

VAFB, AFBF and a coalition of partners worked together to develop comments to FMCSA. We will continue to work to find additional HOS and ELD regulatory relief through Congress both now and after election day.