Senator Ben Sasse introduced the legislation in an effort to insulate the livestock industry from the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate facing the commercial trucking industry. | Photo: iStock

On May 23, Senator Ben Sasse (R-MT) introduced the ‘‘Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act,” in an effort to insulate the livestock industry from the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate facing the commercial trucking industry.

In it the Secretary of Transportation would amend the federal regulations to ensure that a driver transporting livestock or insects within a 300 air-mile radius from the point at which the driver begins the trip shall exclude all time spent;

• At a plant, terminal, facility, or other property of a motor carrier or shipper or on any public property during which the driver is waiting to be dispatched;
• Loading or unloading a commercial motor vehicle;
• Supervising or assisting in the loading or unloading of a commercial motor vehicle;
• Attending to a commercial motor vehicle while the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded;
• Remaining in readiness to operate a commercial motor vehicle; and
• Giving or receiving receipts for shipments loaded or unloaded;

Also, the driving time is modified to a maximum of not less than 15, and not more than 18, hours within a 24-hour period, wherein the driver can take one or more rest periods during the trip, which shall not be included in the calculation of the driving time. After completion of the trip, the driver shall be required to take a rest break for a period that is five hours less than the total driving time (so, a 10-hour rest for a 15-hour trip)