NASDA URGES ACTION ON AGRICULTURAL TRANSPORTATION

News Date February 25, 2008

       State agriculture leaders are calling on Congress to support legislation that will allow farmers and ranchers to move products and equipment to sustain their normal farm and ranch enterprises on highways.
       In a letter to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, NASDA expressed support for legislation that would update the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to permit farmers crossing state boundaries to avail themselves of the 26,001 weight limit when both states recognize this limit. The letter was endorsed by NASDA's membership during the group's recent midyear conference in Washington, D.C. It was presented by Oklahoma Agriculture Secretary Terry Peach, who chairs NASDA's Rural Development and Financial Security Committee. 
       Under existing federal regulations, a farmer using his own vehicle to transport his own crops or livestock can get caught up in the same regulations that apply to individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for year-round hire. H.R. 3098 has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Dan Boren (D-Okla.), Mary Fallin (R-Okla.) and Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) to address this problem. Specifically, the legislation clarifies the situation regarding agricultural vehicles by changing the current definition of a commercial motor vehicle from 10,001 pounds to 26,001 pounds. 
       NASDA's letter notes that H.R. 3098 will provide much-needed uniformity between state and federal laws. It would allow farmers and ranchers to continue to conduct their agricultural business on highways, especially those who may travel only short distances but whose best markets are just across a state boundary line. It also provides growers the opportunity to capture the best price for their products. (Contact: Charlie Ingram)