An amendment to the Senate’s “minibus” spending bill would grant livestock haulers another year-long extension to implement Electronic Logging Devices (ELD).
Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer proposed the amendment to delay implementation of the ELD mandate until September 30, 2019. Fischer says the amendment is important because livestock haulers face different challenges than traditional haulers who are currently using an ELD under Department of Transportation regulations.
The current extension for the ELD mandate runs through September 30 of this year. Extending the delay further gives regulators from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration time to work with both livestock transporters and producers on finding a resolution to the Hours of Service mandate that’s reinforced through the ELD.
U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Transportation Committee Chair Steve Hilker says the hours of service rule doesn’t give drivers enough flexibility when hauling live animals. “The one year delay is needed because we still don’t have the flexibility we need from the Department of Transportation,” Hilker says. “We have the solution already drafted and introduced in Congress.” He’s talking about the Transporting Livestock Safely Across America Act, which would extend the Hours of Service rules for livestock haulers.
Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.