Virginia waives hours-of-service and permit fees for hay haulers

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed an emergency order on September 16 to help farmers during a severe drought. The order changes trucking rules for companies hauling hay.

The relief starts on October 1 and ends on October 30. Drivers can ignore the standard ten and fourteen hour driving limits while transporting hay. The Virginia State Police Motor Carrier Safety Unit confirmed these hours-of-service exemptions.

Carriers also do not need to pay fees or follow normal application steps for wide loads. The state still requires hay loads to stay within a twelve foot width and a fourteen foot height.

The emergency declaration itself runs for forty five days. The specific relief for truck drivers is strictly limited to the October window.

Federal rules on emergency waivers were updated after the pandemic. Industry groups argued that shorter automatic relief periods would hurt emergency deliveries. Virginia is using its own state authority to grant this temporary break.

Source: Land Line — https://landline.media/virginia-trucking-waiver-makes-way-for-hay/