How do Ag Exemptions Work in Trucking?

I messed myself up. My truck is the only one I have that isn’t exempt. Hasn’t mattered as I’ve had it parked since Mar ‘20. I got my hands on the regs and found something interesting on the first page though. Rentals of terms under 30 days are exempt. I’m laughing, but I should be mad. I started out with a stack of blank leases and a portable typewriter in my bunk because they wouldn’t give me an authority in pre de-reg Onterrible. And now almost 45 yrs later…..

 

No ag exempt but during winter I was when running propane. I never logged PC, just let it run into the negatives. At the end of the week I was around -59 hours lol in my case as long as I had the exemption paperwork and logged an 8 hour break I was legal

 

Nicely explained.

To add, we use an ELD (Konexial) that uses geofencing to AUTOMATICALLY move the driver from the drive line to the off duty line, and back, as they go in and out of the 150 mile zone. The ELD notes the ag exemption status on the log.

When we started using this, the drivers were pretty happy. Just put in the pick up address, and the ELD runs the show from there. No stopping to change duty status and make notes. As a nice bonus, the ELD changes over at EXACTLY the correct distance, which was about 15 miles further down the road than we usually switched.

 

If you got outside the radius. Time starts from when you started inside the radius. Correct?

 

One aspect of the ag exempt rule is that YOU are hauling YOUR OWN ag products.
Loggers, farmers, and other ag producers fall under the ag exemption, commercial haulers don't, unless it's your own products.
I had extensive discussion with the commander of the Tennessee DOT enforcement unit when I had my logging company.
He indicated that this aspect is what gets people in trouble.
I was ag exempt within 150 air miles of where the goods were produced.
I didn't need a cdl, log book, etc, only a bol listing the address of production and the area of receiver.
DVIR still necessary, and I still had to abide equipment rules and weight rules, though I had a 10% grace buffer on weight, as long as I ran secondary roads. Interstate weight rules aren't subject to the grace allowance...
Meaning, I could scale 88000 on secondary roads, but couldn't be over 80k on the interstate.
I had to be hauling my own products, not for hire outside that, to remain clean under the ag exempt rule.
Now, that said, it's possible to have a *share agreement * where you haul ag products as co-owner, and still meet the exemption rules.
Be careful, read the rules thoroughly, and get your questions answered before hooking up that trailer. Better to be safe and exceed the requirements, than fall short and get reamed for it.

 

That might have been how it used to be, but the MAP21 ag exemption is for everyone. There are about 34 pages of what is and isn’t exempt. It has nothing to do with where the carrier is based, if you are loading an exempt product you can use the ag exemption on your way to load and once you’re loaded.

 

No. Time starts once you leave the radius.

 

When I 1st started in the 80's that's the way it was it had to be your product..

 

The only thing I can add is that “air mile” is a nautical term equal to 1.15 land or statute miles. So that will get you a little extra running room.

 

straight line or with curves? A guy could easily drive 200 miles inside that 150 miles.