The FMCSA’s ELD mandate became effective on December 18, 2017. Under the current Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules, livestock haulers are allocated 11 hours of drive time and 14 hours of on-duty time. Once they’ve hit their hours, the ELD will force drivers off the road to take their mandatory 10-hour break. 

Considering the unique challenges that livestock/ag haulers face, the FMCSA announced a short-term waiver for them that has now been extended until September 30, 2018.

The primary concern with the HOS rules and the ELD requirement is the effect on transporting agricultural products and livestock. Drivers put in long hours during harvest seasons and may need to perform multiple duties over the course of a day. Once picked, crops need to get to processing or storage quickly to ensure quality as weather can wreak havoc on them. Livestock cannot be left in a sitting trailer during extreme cold or heat without posing a threat to the animal’s well being.

The FMCSA recently indicated that additional changes to hours of service regulations may soon be enacted to meet the continuing challenges that livestock and ag haulers face.
One of these is a recently introduced bill on the 150-air mile radius exemption. Under the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act (H.R. 6079, S. 2938) , HOS and ELD requirements would be inapplicable until after a driver travels more than 150 air-miles from the driver’s source. The bill would also exempt loading and unloading times from the HOS calculation of driving time; grant flexibility for drivers to rest at any point during their trip without counting it against HOS time; allow drivers to complete their trip – regardless of hours of service requirements – if they come within 150 air-miles of their delivery point; and require the driver to take a break for a period that is five hours less than the maximum on-duty time, after he completes his delivery and the truck is unloaded.

• FMCSA’s ELD mandate became effective on December 18, 2017
• Short-term waiver: Livestock/ag haulers had until March 18, 2018
• First ELD waiver: ELD Exemption until June 18, 2018.
• September 30, 2018 extension for compliance
• Transporters of livestock and insects are not required to have an ELD. The statutory exemption will remain in place until further notice.

Whether your fleet is subject to the mandate or not, using Wireless Links’ Driverlog ELD simplifies operations for livestock/AG haulers and makes them more productive.

We offer multiple advanced ELD options to fit your needs and requirements from a USB and Bluetooth ELD communication to an in-cabin WiFi hotspot communication.

In Addition, Wireless Links offers innovative solutions for improved fleet safety and reduced operating expenses by tracking idle time and speeding while enabling you to better manage your fleet