Daines Calls for Greater Flexibility for Montana Agriculture and Livestock Haulers

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines sent a letter signed by a bipartisan group of Senators to Administrator Raymond Martinez of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), calling for greater flexibility within hours of service (HOS) regulations for commercial motor vehicle drivers, which help maintain the safety on Montana’s roadways. 

Daines and the bipartisan group of colleagues wrote, “The trucking industry provides for over three million jobs in the U.S. and is the backbone of our economy, ensuring our nation’s goods get to market. It is important that HOS regulations provide for a commonsense framework for drivers, rather than a one-size-fits-all model.”

Read the full text of the letter HERE.

Background:

On March 13, 2018, Daines announced the Department of Transportation (DOT) granted his request to exempt agriculture and livestock haulers from its electronic logging devices (ELD) mandate.

In March 2018, Daines spoke with Department of Transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, urging her to extend the DOT’s exemption on electronic logging devices for agriculture and livestock haulers.

In July 2017, Daines questioned Secretary Chao following an appropriations hearing, which led to a 90 day delay in the implementation of the electronic logging devices mandate.

In April 2017, Daines wrote to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) head Daphne Jefferson, raising concerns of implications on livestock and privacy.

In January 2016, Daines questioned former FMCSA head, T.F. Scott Darling, at a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing about the negative impacts electronic logging devices could have on agriculture and livestock haulers.

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