Penna. Farmers up in arms over new Federal Tractor Rules

[Mike in Berks]

dear govt rule making morons -- a farming tractor with a trailer attached to it is NOT REPEAT NOT a "tractor trailer rig" aka as "semi truck and trailer" like those driven on a highway --so please remove your head from yer rectum and smell the coffee , and use a bit of common sense when making rules.

exactly ivan salis i could'nt have said it any better

Well, there's an update in the newspaper this morning .....

Berks County farmers can rest a little easier knowing that tractors would be "exempt" from new federal rules prohibiting anyone under 18 from operating heavy farm equipment in Pennsylvania.
Mark O'Neill, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said federal regulators recently clarified the impact the regulations would have on the state's farm families.
Many farm families rely on teens to help with daily operations.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=201027

Although tractors would be exempt, the rules would apply to heavy duty pickup trucks
That means a farmer could not have his children under 18 assist in hauling animals
to market >>>> or moving hay from a barn to a field

the part about hauling animals
to market seems more reasonable.
farm kids should not be given special
treatment simply so they can drive the highways
fruther then is necessary to do their fields anyway.

moving hay from a barn to their own fields
or vica-verca should be reconsidered though
if it's within a reasonable distance

i agree with you Jeff no special treatment so they can drive on the highways - i do feel
they should be allowed to use the roads no further than is necessary to do their fields.

BUT, moving hay etc., from a barn to a field or vice versa, be it with a tractor or a HD truck
and trailor, if it's on their private property or even using the road within their propery lines
i feel it should be allowed

O' Neil said federal regulators also clarified, however, that the hours of service limits would
be waived under "certain circumstances." hmmm, i wonder what that means
I wish the people who came up with this "mess" would make themselves visible to the public.
The only person visible so far is Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's spokesman Mark O'Neil

 

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[jeff of pa]

Yea I agree.

Although I Have nothing against Them,
I Bet the amish will be Exempt.

aren't the Amish totally self sufficient and completely off grid?? I don't think they have to interact with the Gov..does anyone know?

Because some Actually Build Storage Sheds Etc for
Anyone who wants to Buy Etc.
Some do have to Pay taxes.
(My Garage is actually an Amish Built Garage,
Built by them and Hauled here)

They shop in our Stores including Wally World.
Drink in the Bars,

They also do get DUI's in thier Buggys
& Have to obey most laws

Most of the Young Amish girls & Women are definately Flirts
& Very Sweet (Friendly) it's rare one will Ignore you
even as you drive by them in your car.
They always give a Big smile & Wave.

Always hit the Community Yard sales
& Buy bright Clothing which they
send to New Orleans, & Probably
the Quake Victims now.

They hire drivers with Pickup trucks
to drive them around yard sales & Haul
their Treasures Home.

I'm not sure where the Line is drawn

& On church day When you See the buggys
going every 2 Minutes it
seems Every Young Amish girl
has her own Buggy & Horses.
Must be a Right of Passage.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

The Amish do not pay Social Security taxes (nor do they collect Social Security). It is against the Amish religion to not take care of your own.

Other than that - they pay federal and state taxes.

And, they are allowed to drink - though it is supposed to be "moderately", and every one I have known keeps wine in their home.

B

 

[Mike in Berks]

There was another update in the paper today ...... for anyone interested.

Enforcing new federal regulations will not be the top priority of state and local police.

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=201421

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Good for them!

Just wait until someone gets murdered somewhere, and the police could have prevented it if they had gotten there sooner - because they were all wrapped up in some farm kid crossing the road...... I wonder how THAT would go over with the public?


B

 

[Mike in Berks]

Good for them!

Just wait until someone gets murdered somewhere, and the police could have prevented it if they had gotten there sooner - because they were all wrapped up in some farm kid crossing the road...... I wonder how THAT would go over with the public?


B

very good point Beth
They make a law (Pa. is in Dept). And the people that are supposed to enforce it are saying
we have more important things to deal with. kinda like saying Let the farmers alone they
have enough trouble trying to survive.

 

[truckinbutch]

Problem is that as long as this extension of the law exists some poor baxard is going to suffer from it
as an "example" to others .

 

[sniffer]

it seems like this law doesn't differ from the law in other states. relax, let me explain
1. if you pull a trailer containing anything used in a business (farming) that is a commercial venture
which includes tractors pulling a gravity box.
2. minors are not allowed to operate a commercial vehicle on public roads
3. if you operate a commercial vehicle on a public road it has to pass a DOT inspection
4. if you drive a commercial vehicle farther than 100 miles from it's place of registration
and it is being used for commercial use, the driver must possess a valid medical cert.
and a drivers log book, they must also have a valid CDL license covering the vehicle they are driving

farming is a commercial venture.
if a minor drives a vehicle on a public road, street, highway etc. they are subject to the same laws
as any other driver that drives a vehicle

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

That's probably the "average" laws.

Here, a rancher can go (on ranch business) without a cdl. (though, honestly, I'm not sure how they get around the fed regulations)

32-9-3. Exceptions from definitions of motor carrier and commercial vehicle. For the purposes of this chapter, the following do not come within the definition of "motor carriers" or "commercial vehicles" if used in intrastate operations:

(2) A motor vehicle chassis registered in South Dakota on which is mounted a cornsheller, grain cleaner, feed grinder, grain and alfalfa feed mixing machine, haystack mover, sawmill, water well drilling equipment, power shovel, ditchdigger, mobile crane which exceeds the maximum size or weight limits prescribed by chapter 32-22, drag line, posthole auger, and which is not used for demonstration or display purposes outside the limits of a municipality, or a truck tractor and trailer carrying permanently mounted hay grinding equipment;

(3) Any motor vehicle registered in South Dakota used for the transportation of liquid or solid livestock waste including trailers and equipment used to load liquid or solid livestock waste and any vehicle registered in South Dakota used for the application, distribution, spraying, or transportation from retail business to user of dry, liquid, or anhydrous ammonia fertilizers or agricultural chemicals

5) A motor vehicle registered in South Dakota, owned by a farmer of this state and used by or for the farmer to transport property for the farmer's farming operation, to transport farm property from farm to farm or from a community or market to the farm or from the farm to a community or market, to transport livestock in a vehicle or combination of vehicles registered without monetary compensation, or to transport farm property when the vehicles are used as reimbursement in the ordinary exchange of farm work

There's more, because the state also exempts miners, loggers and some other industries.

Beth

 

[sniffer]

you can tell a lawyer wrote that up. LOL

 

[packerbacker]

Only one way to beat 'em!!

 

[Woodland Detectors]

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Like many farmers in Mercer County, Pa., Enos Troyer relies on his children to help with the busy times of spring planting and fall harvest. But, if federal regulators have their say, anyone operating a tractor in Pennsylvania must be over 18.

That has a number of Keystone State farmers worried as planting time approaches.

Proposed regs

The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed a series of regulations aimed at operators of farm equipment in Pennsylvania. Those regulations would require farmers to keep logs, prohibit anyone under 18 from working a tractor, and anyone operating a tractor or other farm equipment would need a medical certificate.

These proposed regulations, which are set to go into effect March 1, would treat farmers much like interstate truckers, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau has said. The organization is lobbying federal lawmakers to overturn the regulations.

Officials with the USDOT did not return phone calls seeking comments.

Of course not.

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