The feds are overstepping their juristiction attempting to impose DOT regulations on farmers for tractors and other farm vehicles. Please write to your Congressional critters to oppose and stop this nonsense.
Here’s a look at what the federal government has proposed:
– Age restrictions: No one under the age of 18 will be able to drive a farm vehicle, including implements, with a combined weight of more than 17,000 pounds.
– Medical certification: Drivers must receive a valid medical certificate to determine if they are physically qualified to drive. Drivers of farm vehicles weighing more than 17,000 pounds will also need a certification whenever the truck is operated more than 150 miles from the farm.
– Driver’s logs: Drivers will be subject to similar hours of service as trucking companies. Those standards include break time and keeping a log of driver’s activity.
– Vehicle inspection: Farmers will be required to conduct pre-trip inspections and complete written post-trip safety reports.
-Farm and Dairy News
Forcing farmers to act like long distance truckers will destroy small farms. Bureaucrats are ceaselessly looking for more ways to extend their domain by taking away our traditional rights to live our lives.
Geez whats next?
Comment gisela — March 5, 2010 @ 12:30 pm
Update:
Tractors exempt from Pa. road regs, but not farm trucks
Of course if you read the article, the regulations just become more convoluted.
Can’t understand it = new taxes, oops I mean fees.
[Unfortunately this is still filled with problems that will hurt farmers. As you say, it’s a new revenue stream for government as well as an erosion of our freedoms. -WJ]
Comment Mrs. Sabo — March 5, 2010 @ 1:36 pm
That is ridiculous! I learned how to operate a tractor when I was 8 years old so I could drive while my dad stood on the plow (it was an old but effective setup)
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Comment Anji — March 9, 2010 @ 10:26 pm
Yes and do they also require a commercial drivers License TOO??
Those regs are straight out of the DOT commercial trucking regs just like the Guide to Good Farming Practices is a rewrite of the FDA good Manufacturing practices for the drug industry.
Time to start breeding and training draft horses, oxen and mules for use on family farms.
Comment Snazy snezy — March 10, 2010 @ 9:40 am
so when the crops need to be planted fast, or harvested before the rains ruin it, a farmer is going to log off for an approved 8hr nap? I dont think so!
theres many a well under 18yr old in Aus thats a better driver than many adults in cars and couriers vehicles.
your government is purely insane, and trying its damndest to ruin any but massive agri business owned conglomerate mega farms of Mono cropped GM, muck.or CAFO torture camps for animals.
I beg to differ with banning chemical fertiliser, they are enforcing the use of chemicals over manures and natural minerals, using the ecoli and salmonella incidents as a Spurious reason. the real issue is the massive processing areas, where far too many crops are combined and contaminated and shipped from One huge source. insanity.
Comment amicus curiae — April 8, 2010 @ 6:24 am