American Farm Bureau Announcement

I copied this from OSBA (Oregon State Beekeepers Association) site, another beekeeper posted it who is also a member of BeeSource.

Good news from the American Farm Bureau:

Farm Vehicle Exemptions


The Federal Register has published the attached notice of statutory exemptions from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding the agency's actions to simplify regulations for farmers and their employees, as required by the new surface transportation reauthorization law, MAP-21. Farm Bureau strongly supported these exemptions.



The following regulations and exemptions took effect October 1:



A covered farm vehicle, including the individual operating that vehicle, shall be exempt from the following federal requirements:



•Any requirement related to commercial driver's licenses;
•Any requirement related to drug testing;
•Any requirement related to medical certificates;
•Any requirement related to hours of service; and
•Any requirement related to vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance.


Exemptions do not apply to a covered farm vehicle transporting hazardous materials that require a placard.



The covered farm vehicle must be equipped with a special license plate or other designation by the state in which the vehicle is registered to allow for identification of the vehicle as a farm vehicle by law enforcement personnel.



It should be noted that this law does not specifically exempt a farmer or rancher from any state requirements. There are no longer federal requirements relating to the above-mentioned regulations. Additionally, funding from the federal government to a state cannot be withheld if a state chooses to allow exemptions for agriculture.

Read more: http://orsba.proboards.com/index.cgi...#ixzz2A8RFA29W

You must be within 150 miles of the source of the at products. It doesn't help the migratory guy much

Actually, it helps the migratory guy a lot!
Read the FAQs closer.
It covers trucks under 26000# ANYWHERE in the US.

"The covered farm vehicle must be equipped with a special license plate or other designation by the state in which the vehicle is registered to allow for identification of the vehicle as a farm vehicle by law enforcement personnel."

Hmm. Where in California would one get such a designation?

Being able to burn dyed fuel should be on the list!

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Originally Posted by HarryVanderpool

Actually, it helps the migratory guy a lot!
Read the FAQs closer.
It covers trucks under 26000# ANYWHERE in the US.

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Woo Hoo! I gladly stand corrected. This is a real "game changer" Wonder if DOT registration still be required if said farm vehicle is under 26,001 GVW

Delete. Misread the post.

I just have to ask, I don't currently have farm plates but am in the process of getting them, If the feds don't have rules and I have N.Y. farm plates and I'm it Nevada, what rules am I required to follow, N.Y. laws/rules or the rules of the state I'm in?? I would have to guess the rules of the state I'm in as Nevada doesn't know the rules of the state I'm from.
Now at one time I had farm plates from a different state and it only allowed me to use them in adjoining states only(for instance), so if I get to nevada and there rules are you can only use them in Nevada, how do I get out of the state:) I guess I would have to get the state rules for every state I intend to pass through? thanks

i may be misinformed but i was told locally that you could run red diesel in a farm truck on the road, as long as the vehicle had "farm" plates. Anyone have a definite answer?

I dont know how much of that i would personally do. I know they dip tanks at the local auction barn to write untaxed fuel tickets.

I just printed the amendment. That WILL be going into my travel folder where I USED to keep my hours of service records!

BTW anyone wanting to go directly to the FAQs to read up on it themselves can find it at

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/M...09-26-2012.pdf

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Originally Posted by jim lyon

Woo Hoo! I gladly stand corrected. This is a real "game changer" Wonder if DOT registration still be required if said farm vehicle is under 26,001 GVW

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Of the 9 trucks we run only 3 fall into that area. Plus if you check most states only alow you 150 mile for you farm for a farm tag to be valid. After that all reg apply. I will keep my class A and fill out my log book much less hassle plus I can drive any truck I need to.

Question, does this mean you don't have to have " DOT# " if under 26,000lb, you can drive acorss state lines like a car?

P.S. and not have to do it at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. :)

My take on this is that it relieves you from the regs. that the DOT enforces and it does require that you have a farm tag. You probably still need DOT numbers but I dont know that for sure. I printed those new regs. out as well to put in each truck. You can do a lot of work with an under 26,000 lb. truck, thats all we run. Seems to me that if you are running tandem axles and trailers that you are doing a lot for hire and probably cant afford to do much "dead heading" anyway. I have toyed with the idea of buying a tractor-trailer setup but when I do the math on it I come to the conclusion that with $4.00 fuel you need to run loaded all the time and pretty soon you are a trucker not a beekeeper. My solution: keep your phone full of trucker contacts, then load them to 79 grand and make them do some serious hauling while we get some sleep. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jim lyon

My solution: keep your phone full of trucker contacts,

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Yeah, just start with the letter E on your phone book that way you have a good chance of the trucker showing up. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Keith Jarrett

Yeah, just start with the letter E on your phone book that way you have a good chance of the trucker showing up. :)

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:lpf:

Have a call into our States Fed DOT office they are doing some checking on what these new regs. mean for beekeepers. Will post back when we get some answers

In NY Farm Plates are different from Agricultural Plates. Farm Plates would not allow me to drive that vehicle to SC, or even to Albany. Albany being 200 miles from my home farm.

That is not what Dan Winters told me. He is sending me some paperwork in the mail that clearly benefits having Farm tags on our trucks. I will make a post about that when it comes in the mail.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Keith Jarrett

Question, does this mean you don't have to have " DOT# " if under 26,000lb, you can drive acorss state lines like a car?P.S. and not have to do it at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. :)

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Or a CDL to drive a heavy truck and trailer?

Are we trying to get around some regulations or trying to take advantage of what appears to be the loosening of some regulations.

Does this Announcement relieve a friend of mine from having to jump through all of the hoops now that he has finally applied for his DOT number and already hgas a CDL?