The Nation : Trucker-Licensing Exclusions Weighed

The Transportation Department said it will consider excluding farmers and firemen from a federal proposal to force all truck drivers to obtain special licenses. The announcement was made in response to a flood of protests from the agricultural community over proposed regulations to take effect in July requiring a commercial license for anyone to drive a truck weighing more than 26,000 pounds or any vehicle with a hazardous cargo. Farmers have complained that the law could cover some large trucks used to transport grain and hay or even their pickups carrying a bulk fuel tank and some fertilizers. The regulations are to implement provisions of a 1986 law to improve highway safety by establishing a uniform system of truck and bus driver licensing.