The trucking industry is a vital cog in the supply chain. Whether you are hauling across town or across the country, all our goods touch a truck at some point in time. The lack of a reliable workforce has also hit the trucking industry. More drivers have had to put in long hours to get goods moved in a timely fashion. To do this, the Federal Government had issued an emergency order to the Federal Hours of Service Regulation. Last week, that order was extended.
Livestock is just one of the many commodities shipped around the country. The livestock industry has long been a supporter of waivers for animal haulers, to ensure the safety and health of their charges. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has been one of those groups. Michael Formica is the Assistant Vice President and General Counsel for the NPPC. He says that livestock haulers will especially benefit from this extension.
Formica adds that the needs for this exemption go well beyond livestock hauling. The supply chain has been hit hard because of COVID-19 and truckers were not immune.
The shortage of truckers also affects grain hauling, product delivery, and other agriculture sectors.
This exemption will go through February, but Formica says that they would like to see this emergency order become permanent.
