FMCSA Proposes Flexible HOS Rules for Agricultural Truckers

A proposed FMCSA rule would allow agricultural haulers extended hours-of-service windows during planting and harvest seasons, reducing costly handoffs and driver fatigue concerns.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is reviewing comments on a proposed hours-of-service exemption for agricultural freight operators. The rule would allow truckers hauling livestock, grain, and refrigerated produce within a 150-air-mile radius of their source to extend their on-duty window up to two additional hours during federally declared planting and harvest periods.

Industry groups say the change would reduce the need for costly short-haul relays during corn and grain harvest. A typical Midwest grain hauler running during harvest currently faces schedules that require multiple handoffs.

The proposal comes after pressure from the American Trucking Associations, who argue that the current 14-hour clock forces drivers to either rush loading or park with temperature-sensitive cargo.

Safety advocates, however, note that agricultural exemption crashes spike in late summer when harvest pressure peaks. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recommended stricter logging requirements.

The FMCSA expects a final rule by February 2027, with compliance before the spring planting season.

Resources for operators: Truck Savers for service, inspections and diesel maintenance support; and Go Green APU for idle-reduction, fuel-savings and APU information.