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121: The Livestock Hauling Bill Everyone in Agriculture Needs to Know About · CattleUSA Daily

• 0:03
  Welcome to the Cattle USA Daily podcast, your go to source for
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  the latest livestock markets, industry insights and the update
• 0:10
  shaping agriculture today. I'm your host, Lauren Moylan, a
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  passionate advocate for agriculture, here to keep you
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  informed and connected. Now let's dive into today's
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  episode. Welcome back to the Cattle USA
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  Daily podcast. Today we are diving into a new
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  bipartisan bill aimed at fixing a long standing issue in our
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  industry. And that is rigid hours of
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  service rules that don't fit the realities of hauling livestock.
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  It's called the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely
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  Act and if passed, it could give haulers the flexibility they
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  have needed for years. So what is the problem with the
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  current rules? Right now, federal HOS rules
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  treat all freight the same, whether you're hauling a pallet
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  of paper towels or live animals that can overheat, stress or die
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  if delayed. Once a hauler hits their driving
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  limit, which is typically 11 hours, they are required to shut
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  down, even if it is just 30 minutes from their destination.
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  That is not just inefficient, it is dangerous for livestock and
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  puts producers, buyers and truckers in a bind.
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  So what would this new bill do? This bill, introduced by Senator
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  Ben Ray Luan, a Democrat from New Mexico, would allow up to 18
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  total hours of on duty time during livestock hauls, followed
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  by at least 10 hours of off duty rest.
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  It also maintains the 150 air mile exemption from the ELD
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  mandate so haulers wouldn't have to track Hos electronically
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  within that radius. This would bring hauling rules
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  closer to real world conditions, especially during long haul
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  distance shipments or in hot weather, which we are all living
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  right now in the Midwest. This issue isn't new.
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  Groups like NCBA, the LMA, and US Cattlemen's Association have
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  been pushing for HOS reform for years.
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  This bill mirrors a version introduced in 2019 by Senator
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  Deb Fischer. That version never passed, but
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  momentum has grown, especially with increased scrutiny on
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  animal welfare during transit. NCBA applauded this 2025
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  version, saying it prioritizes both safety and the well-being
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  of lives. Livestock.
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  This is a massive win. So why does this matter for
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  producers? Let's get real.
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  When a hauler is forced to park for 10 hours mid trip in the
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  middle of summer, you're risking hate, stress, shrink injuries,
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  or worse. You've got animals to protect,
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  buyers waiting and money on the line.
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  Now, this bill does not eliminate safety protocols.
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  It just gives professional livestock haulers a more
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  realistic drivetime windows that reflect the true nature of the
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  job. So here are the key details and
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  conditions. What this bill doesn't do.
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  First and foremost, it doesn't eliminate all regulations, it
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  doesn't exempt haulers from rest requirements, and it doesn't
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  apply to all freight, only livestock haulers.
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  It's a carved out design to recognize that you can't just
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  stop and take a nap when there are live animals behind you.
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  Think of it as creating smart flexibility, not free for all
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  driving right now. This bill has been introduced in
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  the Senate with bipartisan support, but it'll need backing
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  in both chambers to move forward.
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  It is a great time for producers, sail barns, and
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  haulers to speak up and support common sense reform.
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  Contacting your state's AG representative could help push
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  this thing through. Contact your representatives,
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  your senators, everyone else in between and get on the phone as
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  someone who represents agriculture, no matter where you
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  are, and help us push this thing through.
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  Luckily, this bill is bipartisan.
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  It is across both party lines. And so we should see great
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  support from both sides of the aisle on this bill.
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  Especially like I said earlier, as we've been pushing in animal
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  welfare reform and everything like that from both sides.
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  This is going to be something that is going to be looked at
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  very highly and can easily be pushed through.
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  We just need the support and we need the backing from all of our
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  farmers and ranchers out there, all of our representatives with
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  an AG. This is your time to speak up.
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  So here are the takeaways. This new bill would expand HOS
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  limits to 18 hours, 18 on duty hours for livestock haulers.
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  It preserves the 150 air mile exemption from ELD tracking, and
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  it could give producers and haulers the breathing room they
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  need to prioritize livestock care.
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  We will keep you guys posted as this continues to move through
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  Congress, but until then, keep the wheels turning and keep the
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  cattle safe. This is something that you all
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  can speak up about and I hope that you all get on the phone
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  with your representatives today. Thank you all for listening to
• 5:13
  another episode of the Cattle USA Daily podcast.
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• 5:19
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  right. Without further ado, thank you
• 6:15
  guys so much for listening to another episode and we'll see
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  you all next time. Have a good one.