DOT May Require Commercial Licenses for Farm Equipment
The Department of Transportation is asking farmers and ranchers to respond to three proposals that could have a serious impact on their ability to run their operations. The issues deal with whether agriculture is interstate or intrastate commerce and whether drivers of farm equipment should be required to have commercial driver’s licenses.
“Farmers would have to lay out the money for the commercial driver’s license and if you have employees for whom English may not be their first language, that could be problematic,” explained Elizabeth Jones, AFBF transportation specialist.
Jones encourages Farm Bureau members to contact both DOT and their members of Congress on the issue. DOT needs to be aware of how the rules will impact U.S. agriculture and farm labor, Jones said.
“Congress is now beginning to take up the next highway bill. All of the laws that affect highway safety are contained within the highway bill,” she explained. “So the more educating farmers and ranchers can do with their members of Congress through phone calls and letters, all of those things are important to let Congress know why we need the exemptions that we currently have.”
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Instead of opposing more and more regulations that restrict the ability of agriculture, maybe agriculture producers can ask our governmental agency how we can increase this choke hold to the extent that american grown food does not exist. At that point we can approach the table in a conversation about which regulations the government should have a say in. Until that happens ag producers will continually give up freedoms through compromise.
Rodney,
I think you comment shows just how frustrated the ag industry is over oppressive regulation. Maybe you can take a little comfort in the fact that it is not just us in ag who are facing these problems. The regulatory behemoth that is the U.S. Government under the current administration is weighing heavily on many industries.
I was wondering when the government would create one more limitation on agriculture, especially the smaller “family” farm and ranch operations. Rules under which to operate and handle pesticides and necessary farm chemicals, and so many more such as handling wastes from animal operations are only two existing limitations. Some may have benefit, but they also place tremendous pressure on economic survival of the agricultural unit. When will the rule makers ever come from real(or is that rural) America with an understanding of who they are hurting with their do-gooder mentality?
Tom,
We completely understand! So many times regulatory agencies end up regulating the wrong people/industries. Even when they get it right, it is more often than not, a blanket solution to a specific and minority problem.
I agree with Tom! too many regulations nad licenses can bring only problems for who work hard! We must are competitive with the rest of the world, don’t forget that!