ARA Signed Working Group Letter to Congress on Modernizing HOS Rules
Jun 15 2021
ARA signed a letter to leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation as part of the Agricultural Transportation Working Group.
ARA and the undersigned organizations strongly support the Fischer-Tester Amendment to the Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 because it will modernize the agricultural exemption to the hours-of-service (HOS) rules and provides much needed regulatory relief for farmers, ranchers and agricultural haulers. The Fischer-Tester Amendment includes bipartisan language from S. 792, the Haulers of Agriculture and Livestock Safety (HAULS) Act of 2021.
This amendment makes three important incremental changes to the agricultural exemption to the HOS rules that ARA supports because it will accommodate seasonal spikes in transportation of food, fiber and other ag supplies, according to the Working Group letter.
The most beneficial change for ag retailers and farm supply transporters is eliminating the "planting and harvesting periods" requirements to ensure uniformity within all states. Most states already have adopted a year-round agricultural exemption (Jan. 1 through Dec. 31) given the diverse range of crops and modern agricultural practices that result in truck movements throughout the year.
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Urge Congress to support the modernization of the Farm-Related Restricted Commercial Driver's License (CDL) program, also known as the Seasonal Ag CDL program. Modernized reforms would provide more flexibility and certainty for drivers and their companies without sacrificing safety.
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