Waiver of Federal Trucking Rule Expanded
The National Pork Producers Council thanked the Biden administration for extending a commercial trucker exemption from the federal hours of service regulation until February 28, 2022. The rule limits truckers to 11 and 14 hours of driving. consecutive hours of duty time in any 24 hour period and requires prescribed rest periods.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the FMCSA included livestock carriers in an initial emergency declaration that provided for an exemption from HOS regulations for commercial truckers carrying essential supplies, including livestock. The exemption was then extended to cover the delivery of feed for livestock.
NPPC President Jen Sorenson said, “The extension of the HOS waiver ensures that livestock truckers can get hogs to market safely and efficiently. In August, the FMCSA extended the waiver until November 30. Additionally, a provision of the recently enacted Infrastructure Bill expanded the kilometers that agricultural truckers can travel without HOS restrictions.
The National Association of Farm Broadcasting and the American Farm Bureau Federation contributed to this report.