WASHINGTON (July 28, 2025) – Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) urged support for the Hauling Exemptions for Livestock Protection (HELP) Act introduced by Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO). This legislation supports livestock haulers by protecting drivers from burdensome hours of service (HOS) and electronic logging device (ELD) mandates.
“When you are hauling cattle, you are dealing with livestock that must be protected from the elements and cannot be easily unloaded until you get to your destination. Livestock haulers need flexibility to complete their trips free from government mandates,” said NCBA Policy Division Chair Skye Krebs, an Oregon rancher who hauls livestock and holds a Commercial Driver’s License. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, haulers and ranchers like me were granted additional flexibility on hours of service and electronic logging devices. In that time, we proved that we could safely transport our livestock and also support the overall supply chain.”
The HELP Act codifies HOS and ELD exemptions that were issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for about two years during the pandemic. Since then, America’s livestock haulers have been burdened by HOS rules again, but this legislation would reinstate permanent exemptions, providing the flexibility necessary to safely transport livestock.
Last week, FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced they are withdrawing a proposed rule to mandate speed limiters in trucks. This announcement was welcome news for livestock haulers, but HOS and ELD mandates continue to pose a threat to drivers. NCBA strongly supports the HELP Act and thanks Rep. Hurd for introducing it. We urge Congress to pass this legislation.
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