Indiana Farm Bureau
NEWS RELEASE
August 10, 2011
For more information: Andy Dietrick, 317-692-7818
adietrick@infarmbureau.org
Kathleen Dutro, 317-692-7824
kdutro@infarmbureau.org
Statement from Indiana Farm Bureau President Don Villwock on
FMCSA’s guidance on agricultural transportation regulations
Indiana Farm Bureau and its 80,000 farmer members are pleased the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) listened to farmers’ concerns about changes to and commercial drivers license provisions.
Based on comments it received from Indiana Farm Bureau Inc. and its many concerned members, the FMCSA says it has no intention of proposing new regulations governing the transport of agricultural products. The agency has released guidance to states so they clearly understand the common-sense exemptions that “allow farmers, their employees, and their families to accomplish their day-to-day work and transport their products to market.”
“This guidance sent to the states by FMCSA today is great news for Indiana farm families,” said IFB President Don Villwock. “We truly appreciate the common-sense approach FMCSA took, and it was nice for a change to see that our federal regulatory authorities heard the concerns we expressed. Their guidance really clears up what was becoming a complicated and potentially expensive issue.”
Villwock said he was pleased by the USDOT’s recognition of the importance of agriculture and its clarity in stating the department “had no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking farmers who feed our country and fuel our economy.”
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