Livestock groups keep up pressure on trucking regs

The National Pork Producers Council submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), supporting revisions to existing federal trucking regulations that would allow livestock haulers to comply with the rules while maintaining standards for animal welfare. Meanwhile, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and other representing bee and fish haulers submitted a petition to the DOT also requesting additional flexibility on Hours of Service requirements. The petition asks for a five-year exemption from certain requirements and encourages DOT to work with the livestock industry to implement additional fatigue-management practices.Current Hours of Service rules that restrict driving time for long-haul drivers often run counter to the need for livestock haulers to get live animals to their destination within a specific timeframe. Once drivers reach the limit, they must wait 10 hours before driving again.