Request Denied: Why the Department of Transportation won’t make exceptions for live animal haulers

The Department of Transportation has rejected a request by ag groups to make exceptions for live animal haulers.

The Federal Register Notice says the request will not make conditions safer for drivers. Ag groups say limiting hours a driver can be on the job put livestock in danger.

Senator Roger Marshall, out of Kansas, responded to the rejection.

“I’m disappointed that this administration once again failed to listen to the farmers and ranchers who know what is best for their animals. Hauling live animals presents unique challenges that the one-size-fits-all hours of service rule does not accommodate. Rejecting this request keeps a layer of bureaucracy and red tape on an industry that is already struggling to find workers and meet consumer demand.”

Related Stories
New testing requirements for dairy cattle producers facing HPAI; ranchers fire back on a controversial proposal from the Bureau of Land Management; and our latest feel-good stories about some country music legends.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

So far, Black Cutworm Moths have been trapped in Wisconsin and Illinois. The invasive pest larvae can cause crop damage if the eggs are not destroyed before they hatch.
National Sorghum Producers Executive Director Greg Ruehle says there’s a discrepancy between sorghum producer’s reports of this year’s crop and the USDA’s forecast.