The American Beekeeping Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Honey Producers Association, Livestock Marketing Association, National Aquaculture Association, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association all signed a petition to the Department of Transportation (DOT) on Monday, Oct. 15 requesting increased flexibility on Hours of Service (HOS) requirements.
The groups asked for a five-year exemption on several HOS requirements for livestock haulers, specifically additional hours on the drive time and on-duty hours.
“We are concerned that the 11- and 14-hour rules were not drafted with livestock haulers in mind and thus do not accommodate the unique character of their loads and nature of their trips,” the petition read. The current requirements “place the wellbeing of livestock at risk during transport and impose significant burdens on livestock haulers, particularly in rural communities across the country.”
In exchange for the increased drive- and on-duty time, the petition suggests the added requirement of pre-trip planning and increased fatigue-management training. The petition noted that a 2014 analysis by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that livestock haulers were underrepresented in truck-involved fatal crashes; while being 6.6 percent of all commercial drivers, they were involved with less than 1 percent of crashes involving large trucks.
“When livestock and other live animals are transported, it’s important to get them to their destination safely and without delay or disruption,” said Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation president.
“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.”
