WASHINGTON — The United States Cattlemen’s Association is pleased with language included in the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on 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.
“For over a year, we have been working to address the need for greater flexibility for our livestock haulers within the ELD mandate,” USCA’s Transportation Committee Chairman Steve Hilker stated, “The language proposed by Congressman Valadao provides an additional year for our industry to work with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to find acceptable solutions to the restrictive Hours-of-Service (HOS) Rules for livestock haulers. We hope to implement these solutions to HOS rules before the one-year delay expires.”
In May 2016, Joe Goggins testified on behalf of USCA at the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on A Review of the U.S. Livestock and Poultry Sectors: Marketplace Opportunities and Challenges. In his testimony, Goggins stated, “Livestock are a highly perishable commodity. If we hamper the ability to move livestock quickly and efficiently, we might actually limit opportunities for producers in many parts of this country by reducing the number of people interested in buying their livestock.”
Recognizing the importance of the issue and the need for an active voice for livestock haulers, USCA quickly pulled together a working group with industry representatives to draft the language that was included in Monday’s version of the bill. USCA also held a panel discussion with the Livestock Marketing Association and the American Cattle Transporters Advisory Group at the 2016 Cattle Producer’s Forum to further discuss greater flexibility for livestock haulers within the upcoming ELD mandate.
The USCA Transportation Committee, comprised of livestock haulers from all across the U.S., traveled to Washington, D.C. this June to present their proposal to support the one year delay and for amended Hours-of-Service (HOS) to FMCSA, Senate and House members. The language included in the FY18 Appropriations Bill is a direct result of their visit to Capitol Hill.
USCA looks forward to continuing the dialogue with FMCSA and Congress to ensure the welfare of the domestic cattle herd and delay the implementation of ELDs for livestock haulers.
—United States Cattlemen’s Association
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