Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 7/12/17


The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association applauded inclusion of language in the U.S. House’s Transportation-HUD appropriations bill that will delay for one year a requirement mandating the use of the new Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) for livestock and insect haulers.

The U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development approved its appropriations bill including this ELD language specific to the livestock and insect industries on Tuesday night. The full committee could mark up the legislation as soon as next week.

“We’re very happy to see this delay of the ELD enforcement deadline,” said fifth-generation California rancher and NCBA President-elect Kevin Kester. “This one-year delay will give us time to address our industry-specific concerns, and give us more time to work with federal regulators to add needed flexibility, as hauling livestock has many challenges and variables.”

The livestock industry now has an additional year to work with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for the flexibility necessary to more fairly regulate the transportation of livestock, especially concerning the restrictions within Hours of Service (HOS) Rules. NCBA has relayed the message to FMCSA for the past year that their rule that limits driving time to 11 hours within a 14-hour window after the driver comes on duty is too restrictive.

“We hope that our continued work with FMCSA will allow them to understand the needs of our industry: balancing the welfare of livestock, the safety of our highly skilled drivers, and the need to get our animals moved in the safest and most efficient way possible for the driver, others on the road, and the animals,” Kester said.