Electronic logbook law impacts hay haulers

Seth Hoyt

Author of The Hoyt Report, providing hay market analysis and insight.

A large amount of hay is trucked throughout the West each year, including a large amount of alfalfa hay that is trucked into Central California from surrounding states. Starting December 18, 2017, hay trucks as well as other freight trucks must have electronic logging devices on trucks that would limit 11 hours of active driving followed by 10 hours of rest.

This federal law will change how hay is hauled, but particularly hay that is brought into California or any other areas of the West that is more than an 11-hour drive away. Trip scheduling, including alternate routes, will become a much bigger part of moving hay. Under the regulations, if the truck is even an hour away from its destination and reaches the 11-hour limit, the truck must stop for the 10 hours of rest. Some believe that the cost to truck hay will go higher under the new regulations.