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Hay transport rules suspended due to drought
With heat and drought drastically reducing hay supplies in Tennessee and surrounding areas, Gov. Bill Haslam has suspended transportation rules to allow haulers of hay in the state to carry larger loads as long as they observe safety requirements.
By executive order, transporters are allowed an increase in gross vehicle weight to 95,000 pounds, not exceeding 20,000 pounds per axle load, for semi-truck/trailers. The order also increases the height of trailer loads to 13 feet, 6 inches and the width to a maximum of 14 feet during daylight hours. The increase in width allows haulers to transport standard six- to seven-foot round hay bales side by side.
The order is valid for 60 days and expires Sept. 8.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has also joined with the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation in making the 2012 Tennessee Hay Directory available to help farmers source locally produced hay. A link to the directory and to the University of Tennessee Extension’s Drought and Extreme Heat website for farmers can be found on TDA’s website at www.tn.gov/agriculture.
A link to the latest Crop Progress and Condition Report for Tennessee can also be found on TDA’s website.
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