ELD Waiver Announcement: 90-Day Grace Period for Agriculture Industry
As you should know by now, the Congressional ELD mandate went effect December of 2017, requiring all commercial carriers to install electronic hardware that automatically records driver hours of service for those that are in service more than eight days in a 30-day period.
However, agricultural interest groups, particularly the National Pork Producers Council, submitted to the DOT a significant number of waiver request because of the regarding the complex nature of transporting fresh produce and livestock. The government has granted their request by permitted a 90-day waiver period beginning March 16th.
Many have complained ELDs give an unfair advantage to the corporate giants and burdened the trucking industry with unnecessary government intervention, yet, by now, over 90% of carriers have complied with the ELD mandate. Still, some in the trucking business are struggling in the transition, such as small owner operator trucking companies.
Nationwide, the FMCSA give all applicable carriers until April 1st before beginning full enforcement of compliance measures, but the waiver period extends this date to June 14th.
The waiver is temporary as FMCSA is expected to make official amendments to their regulations by the end of the 90-day period.
Currently, the US HOS laws dictate all CDL drivers must compile with mandatory a 30-minute breaks every 8 hours of driving within a 14-hour workday, during which they cannot drive more than 11 hours before taking a 10-hour “off duty” period. These restrictions on trucking jobs force drivers to stop at arbitrary locations for a time unhealthy for livestock and destructive to fresh produce that requires controlled temperatures.
The grace period for agricultural carriers allows time for both the public and private sectors to work together to find a common ground solution that balances the wellbeing of animals and crops with driver safety.
It’s believed most carriers of this kind are small in number and operate as very local CDL jobs, making the strict HOS rules unnecessary.
The FMCSA has warned, however, that any agricultural carrier not abiding by the conditions of the waiver agreement will have their privileges voided and face penalties.
You can learn more about the announcement from by reading the FMCSA official ELD waiver statement.
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