The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) followed its recent meeting with American Horse Council (AHC) staff by releasing two documents on the existing commercial driver license (CDL) regulations and how those regulations impact the horse industry. The meeting took place in response to the AHC’s request for clarification.

The documents “Agricultural Exceptions and Exemptions to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Hours of Service (HOS) and Commercial Driver’s License Rules” and “Non-Business Related Transportation of Horses” explain how published FMCSA guidance provides an exception for equine transportation when the transportation in question isn’t business-related (neither for compensation, nor when the driver is engaged in an underlying business related to the move). In these cases, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations do not apply, even if prize or scholarship money is offered. This includes the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations, requirements for electronic logging devices (ELD), and CDL regulations, unless required by the driver’s home state. Both documents contain example scenarios that might help horse owners better understand the regulations as they exist today.

The documents can be found on the FMCSA website at:

• https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/non-business-related-transportation-horses
• https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/agricultural-exceptions-and-exemptions-federal-motor-carrier-safety

The AHC will continue to pursue clarifications until the industry is satisfied that there are no unintended consequences from current CDL or ELD regulations. The AHC will act when clarifications aren’t sufficient, including the continued collaboration with the entire livestock industry to get a delay in ELD enforcement