Posted on 08/03/2011 9:16:10 AM PDT by bkopto
Tractors lumbering down country roads are as common as deer in rural Montana, but the federal government wants to place new driving regulations on farmers and ranchers.
“It’s a huge deal for us,” said John Youngberg of the Montana Farm Bureau. After years of allowing state governments to waive commercial driver’s license requirements for farmers hauling crops or driving farm equipment on public roads, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is poised to do away with the exceptions.
Regulators are suggesting that all wheat shipments be considered interstate, even when farmers making short hauls to local grain elevators aren’t crossing state lines. The change would make commercial driver’s licenses — and all the log books and medical requirements that go with them — a necessity for farmers. Some might not qualify.
(snip)
FMCSA argues that because grain will ultimately be shipped out of state, it should be regulated as an interstate product at every transportation step. Treated as a product destined to cross state lines, grain becomes federally regulated under the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.
(Excerpt) Read more at billingsgazette.com ...
From a practical standpoint, it's more than stupid.
It's absolutely insane.
But from a governing standpoint, it is simply exerting more control.
And that, my fellow FReepers, is the point.
The first six months of the next administration should be devoted to repeal. Repeal of every law and every regulation and executive order the Obama administration passed.
Before I lost my husband the family ran a Tractor and Farm Implement business, along with True Value Hardware store geared to the farmers needs. We knew exactly what is required of a farmer and none work as hard and as long as they do in their business, and all aspects of that business.....wonderful people as well.
We were always on call for the farmers...24/7 as we understood the time lines and the unexpected emergency needs which would come up. Not infrequent to have dinner delays or a plate needing to set aside til the late hours of the night. Living close to the company we could be there in 5 minutes and planned this way.
The guy needs to do more than get a grip....sounds like some young wippper-snapper who thinks the world should move around him. He will learn.
Outside of D.C.? Work-camp.
Yep....Sometimes I don’t hit it just right but have established other routes when that happens....even then I dont’ always remember so I wait as the kiddies get on and off. It just goes with life and if people have a problem with it then they might better be city dwellers where to go five city blocks takes an hour in rush hour traffic!
We were always on call for the farmers...24/7
- - - - - -
Every Implement dealer I know has a kitchen and sleeper sofa at the store for just such reasons, especially during harvest and planting.
You could see our house from the company...worked well for us. Three brothers ran the business...and it’s still going strong in my hometown.
I’ve often missed being a part of it as we had other businesses as well. Lots of lawn mowing equipment, acres of Christmas tree’s trees farmed, all-terraine vehicles, ski doos and a shop for chain saws. As well as New Holland equipment and others. Additionally transformed a haybarn into an antigue shop with a stripping room on the first floor. Nearby was a cattle barn leased out for a farmer who raised beef cows. So we were definately a busy family. Those were definately THE DAYS in my life.
I recall when we visited farms in the mid-west and was so impressed with the size of their operations.. Loved it out there under the blue skies...and driving by the fields of oats and everything one can imagine that grows... was a beautiful site to behold. I could easily be a mid-westerner. Fabulous people too!
Our business catered more to the cattle farmers rather than crop farmers. A whole different operation entirely. I often thought if I would be a farmers wife it would a crop farmers wife. I could never adjust to the cattle except at a distance...Cows are huge creatures! But I loved seeing them in the fields grazing.
You had me up until New Holland (I’m a Case girl myself) - kidding!
Sounds like they were great days. The summers on the farm were the best days for me too, so much so we moved from CA to a rural community even though I rent out the farmland now.
Seems to me if its a rural area, fed presence won’t be much.
I hear Fe'ral regulators make good fertilizer - considering what they are full of.
(not too many witnesses in rural areas either)
LOL....We did sell Case, our primary tractor! Our immediate competion was a small John Deer Dealership....and a Ford dealership also. But Case pretty muc had the area wrapped up...... Then they changed it to Case/International as you know, when they bought out International.
We also took on Kuboto for about six months.. that did not go over at all so we dropped them. Also sold Gehl equipment...I’m sure you’re familiar with...and had of course used equipment for all the trade ins.
With this we had Case Industrial Equipment...Uni-loaders were fun to drive. But you wouldn’t see my trying to handle the backhoes, but nice to ride in. I remember selling a tractor to a farmers wife....before I knew anything at all about tractors. She mentioned a PTO Shaft, which I had no idea what that was! So I simply moved my arm in a very demonstrative way without actually pointing and she walked right up to it. Live and learn!
The aims:
1. Reduce the number of farms —only the huge ones can afford all these professional drivers.
2. Make sure all farm workers are in a dues-paying union.
3. With all illegals in a union, farm ownership is absolved of responsibility for infractions after hiring them.
It’s like Terry Mross said.....It’s all part of the “plan”. But few are listening.
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