Washington-The Agricultural Retailers Association, The Fertilizer Institute, CropLife America, and CHS Inc., along with more than 45 trade associations representing a wide range of agricultural interests, sent a letter on May 14 to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee urging support for the agricultural hours-of-service (HOS) exemption. Congress is working to pass a new surface transportation reauthorization bill before the current authorization expires on Sept. 30, 2009, and some organizations, including the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), have lobbied for the removal of the HOS exemption (GM May 4, p., 15) on the grounds that it results in higher crash rates. “On behalf of the agricultural producers in this country, we want to set the record straight on this issue and pledge our assistance to ensure that this exemption be maintained with the highest possible regard to safety,” the letter states. “The flexibility provided by this exemption is needed in the agricultural industry to ‘finish the job’ during busy planting and harvest season, when seasons and weather patterns do not comply with normal work schedules. Elimination of this exemption would not only increase agricultural operating costs and reduce transportation efficiency, but it may also create safety issues during harvest and planting seasons if producers are required to hire more temporary and possibly less experienced drivers.” The letter claims that a recent study by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, which forms the basis for CVSA’s claims about HOS safety problems, is insufficient and lacks specificity. “The facts simply do not support the assertion that ‘data indicated an alarming trend’ regarding safety issues for agricultural trucking operations,” the letter says. “In truth, there are no known safety issues related to the ag HOS exemption. Further, each state has the authority to modify or eliminate the exemption in the event that safety issues are identified.”
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