U.S. Department of Transportation Grants ‘Hours of Service’ Rule for Transporting Livestock

Jul 08, 2013

U.S. Department of Transportation Grants ‘Hours of Service’ Rule for Transporting Livestock

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farmc.om

The U.S. Department of Transportation said that it will allow a 90-day waiver of a new hours of service rule for truck drivers transporting livestock.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute break for every 8 hours of service. For Truckers carrying livestock, the hours of service would also include the time it takes to load and unload animals. The new rule came into effect July 1.

A number of livestock organizations lobbied FMCSA for the 90-day waiver from complying with the new rule. The groups argued that the new rule would cause irreparable harm, placing the health and welfare of livestock at risk. The case was also made that programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who already educate truck drivers on the transportation and handling of livestock.

The federal agency said it will provide a permanent exemption of the rule for drivers transporting livestock and poultry.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.