We would like to give a heads-up too all drivers who haul agricultural commodities that DOT enforcement of the U.S. electronic logging device (ELD) mandate for your sector is just weeks away! So make sure you’re well-equipped.
FMCSA announced back in December 2017 that they were providing agriculture haulers an extra 3 months, until March 18, 2018, to adopt an ELD. As you likely know, FMCSA later extended the exemption until June 18, 2018. These extensions were meant to give the agriculture community time to fully understand the ELD rule and to comply with the regulations.
Non-livestock
The 6-month exemption granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to truckers within this segment will sunset on June 18, 2018, as per the communique that they sent out recently.
If you haul non-livestock agriculture commodities, such as fertilizer, produce, and feed, you must begin using an ELD to record duty status by June 19, 2018. This is the milestone date when DOT will begin issuing citations and out-of-service orders for motor carriers and drivers that are not in compliance with the ELD rules.
Livestock
On the other hand, if you haul livestock and insects, you still have until the end of September 2018 to adopt an electronic logging device, due to a Congressional directive that was recently passed.
Short haul
Drivers who haul agricultural commodities within a 150-air-mile radius of their load’s origin are exempt from the hours of service regulations, meaning they will not have to adopt an ELD before the June 19, 2018 enforcement date. Only drivers required to keep records of duty status will need to comply with the ELD mandate.
If you need help getting ELD ready – reach out to us straight away!