WASHINGTON — Reps. Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., and Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., have reintroduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation the two lawmakers said would relieve certain sectors of the trucking industry from the Congressionally-mandated use of electronic logging devices
The Small Carrier Electronic Logging Device Exemption Act of 2018 will exempt businesses which operate 10 or fewer commercial trucks from the requirements of the ELD mandate, and the Agricultural Business Electronic Logging Device Exemption Act of 2018 will exempt agricultural businesses.
“This important legislation will eliminate regulations for small trucking companies and will help reduce unnecessary stops and delays which threaten the agricultural products they help to transport,” Peterson said. “These bills are a win for small businesses in rural America and our farmers.”
“Electronic logging devices are more Washington red tape that ties up truckers and puts livestock and Montana livelihoods at risk,” Gianforte said. “These bills will help reduce the unnecessary burden this federal mandate pushes onto Montana’s small trucking operations, farmers, and ranchers.”
The ELD mandate requires commercial drivers who prepare Hours of Service records to connect an electronic logging device to a vehicle’s engine to record driving hours.
The bill has been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Meanwhile, Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., has reintroduced the bipartisan Agricultural Trucking Relief Act (H.R. 1673) that the lawmaker said would provide clarity for the definition of “agricultural commodity” as it relates to transportation policy and compliance with new ELDs and HOS.
Scott said the bill would create a clearer “agricultural commodity” definition for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to use when implementing and enforcing ELD and HOS. Currently, horticultural products have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and numerous other federal and state agencies as an agricultural commodity. However, horticultural and aquaculture products such as nurseries, sod, turfgrass, and freshwater and saltwater aquatic plants, algae, and other organisms are not currently included in the “agriculture commodity” definition used by the FMCSA. H.R. 1673 would ensure that agricultural, aquacultural, horticultural, and floricultural commodities are clearly defined as “agriculture commodities” for use under the FMCSA, Scott said.
The bill has been referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
