The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced this week that interstate drivers of vehicles hauling livestock will be granted a one-year exemption from the 30-minute break requirement during the first eight hours of a shift.
This exemption also applies to Canadian drivers operating into and in the U.S. This exemption began June 11, 2014 and expires June 11, 2015. It is applicable during the transportation of livestock (meaning the truck must be loaded) and does not cover operations after the livestock are unloaded from the vehicle.
Livestock for the purposes of this exemption means “cattle (including dairy producing cattle), elk, reindeer, bison, horses, deer, sheep, goats, swine, poultry (including egg-producing poultry), fish used for food, or offspring. Further, to be eligible carriers must have a “satisfactory” FMCSA issued safety rating or are “unrated;” motor carriers with “conditional” or “unsatisfactory” safety ratings issued by FMCSA are prohibited from utilizing this exemption.
An official copy of the federal notice including additional driver and carrier requirements can be found here.
