Our post earlier this week, “Non-Ag Folks Just Don’t Understand” reminded us that the general public has limited and sometimes misguided information about farming.
“Agvocacy” is needed now more than ever, and farmers have the best opportunity to speak with a credible voice on issues that impact their businesses.
In May, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency that operates within the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), issued a request for public comment on proposed regulations for farmers’ use of public roads, including:
- The distinction between interstate and intrastate commerce for deciding whether operations of commercial motor vehicles within the boundaries of a single State are subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
- The factors the States are using in deciding whether farm vehicle drivers transporting agricultural commodities, farm supplies and equipment as part of a crop share agreement are subject to the commercial driver’s license (CDL) regulations
- The proposed guidance to determine whether off-road farm equipment or implements of husbandry operated on public roads for limited distances are considered commercial motor vehicles
Basically, they’re seeking comments on whether or not to require tractor and agriculture equipment drivers to have a CDL to operate machinery on public roads.
To follow what’s happening with this issue, check out Russ Quinn’s blog, “A CDL to Operate Farm Equipment” on the DTN/The Progressive Farmer website, or Farm Equipment’s online article, “U.S. DOT Seeking Comment on Proposed Regs for Farmers use of Public Roads.”
They are sitting in the air conditioner to long, they need to come out here and run some of this equipment and eat some of this dust and see if they can prevent the dust from coming up in the air, maybe we ought to tax them for the air conditioners in their offices that tax payers pay for. If it wasn’t for the farmers, there wouldn’t be any roads to begin with.
Are you kidding me not in a million years should a fram employee be required to have a CDL to drive a tractor . The DOT has overstepped and is doing a power grab. This is big government at it’s worst.