Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Illinois Farm Bureau
resolve intrastate vs. interstate transportation concerns
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[May 16, 2012]
BLOOMINGTON
-- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced
Thursday it will consider Illinois farmers hauling commodities in
most circumstances to be intrastate commerce, effectively resolving
months-long transportation concerns of Illinois farmers.
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In a meeting with the Illinois Farm Bureau, the FMCSA staff
confirmed the agency would adopt a new policy, applicable only
in Illinois, that commercial motor vehicle transportation of
agricultural commodities from a farm to the first transfer
point, such as an elevator or livestock market, is
transportation in intrastate commerce and therefore not subject
to registration as an interstate carrier. Under the new
decision, farmers would not longer be required to apply for a
U.S. Department of Transportation number for their trucks or
pass a new-entrant safety audit to haul commodities to a first
point of delivery.
"We are extremely pleased with the FMCSA's ruling in this
case," said Philip Nelson, president of the Illinois Farm
Bureau. "This ruling clarifies a number of provisions related to
DOT and Unified Carrier Registration regulations for farmers
hauling their grain or livestock commodities to markets within
the state."
Anne Ferro, FMCSA administrator, and her staff toured
Illinois farms and agribusinesses last summer, providing
Illinois farmers and agribusiness the opportunity to voice their
concerns surrounding the agency's interstate vs. intrastate
interpretation and allowing Ferro and her staff a better
understanding of Illinois agriculture, why those interpretations
were cumbersome for Illinois farmers, and how agency resources
could be put to better use.
"I want to thank the Illinois Farm Bureau for working with us
and for spending time with us last summer to help us really
understand farm transportation issues in Illinois, said Steven
Mattioli, Illinois division administrator for FMCSA.
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"We certainly appreciate the FMCSA and DOT officials' willingness to
listen to our concerns," Nelson said. "The more than 1,700 comments
submitted to the FMCSA and the FMCSA's cooperation and readiness to
tour Illinois farms resulted in a favorable outcome for everyone."
The Illinois Farm Bureau is a
member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a national
organization of farmers and ranchers. Founded in 1916, IFB is a
nonprofit, membership organization controlled by farmers who join
through their county Farm Bureau. IFB has a total membership of more
than 420,500, a voting membership of 82,973 and represents 2 out of
3 Illinois farmers.
[Text from file received from
Illinois Farm Bureau]
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