Transportation & Supply Chain
Supply chain disruptions and transportation challenges continue to cause major challenges for the ag industry. Ag retailers need modernized and preserved U.S. inland waterways and freight rails that connect thousands of US manufacturers, farmers and energy producers with consumers. This is crucial for ag retailers to continue to feed and fuel America’s ag economy and global competitiveness.
ARA Position
- Advocate for an expanded Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program by allowing more 18- to 20-year-old drivers to participate & adding more opportunities
- Support legislation that allows for an exemption from the FMCSA Entry Level Driving Training (ELDT) requirements for ag retailers, other agribusinesses and small businesses
- Support DOT authority to preempt state and local hazmat regulations that are overly burdensome on commerce
- Support reform of the Hazardous Materials Safety Program
- Work with Rebuild Rural Coalition to support continued infrastructure investments for highways, bridges, construction of new locks on key inland waterway systems and other transportation and infrastructure projects to improve U.S. competitiveness
- Work with Congress to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Board and improve shipper rights, increase the efficiency of movement of ag products, support efforts to provide relief from rail congestion, support increase competition among Class 1 and Short Line railroads
- Support an expansion of the Hours of Service (HOS) agricultural exemption and short haul exemption up to 200 air-miles
- Support allowing conventional semi-trucks, equipped with a sixth axle, to have access to the federal Interstate system with gross vehicle weights up to 97,000 pounds
- Maintain current $750,000 minimum financial responsibility requirement
- Support improvements to rural broadband access through more accurate broadband mapping, increased federal funding, and better program coordination across the federal government
- Work with industry coalition partners to ensure the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) maintains “just and reasonable” rates of liquids pipelines, which carry crude oil, gasoline, propane, other natural gas liquids, fuel oil, and other commodities
- Work with Congress and industry organizations to ensure the Highway Trust Fund is equitably funded by all types of vehicles (gas, diesel, bio-diesel, ethanol, natural gas, electric, etc.) to address the nation’s highway infrastructure needs
- Support efforts in Congress and the administration to promote the use of low carbon biofuels and other fuels that protect choice in vehicle purchases to prevent a state or federal government from a ban of the internal combustion engine.
- Support the reauthorization, implementation, and funding of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), including addressing dredging and eminent domain issues potentially impacting farmland
- Support repeal of the Jones Act to allow increased shipping between US ports
- Oppose the removal of hydropower dams in the Pacific Northwest and other rural areas of the country dependent on this vital source of renewable energy and protects the continued use of the inland water transport system
- Work with other trade associations and FMCSA to ensure a one-size-fits-all speed limiter mandate is not implemented, and states continue to have the power to establish speed limits.
- Work with other trade associations on industry consensus safety practices and testing procedures related to the storage, handling, and transportation of anhydrous ammonia nurse tanks.
Each year, ARA members decide a new set of public policy issues to steer the association's advocacy efforts with elected officials and regulatory agencies in Washington during the annual ARA Legislative Fly-In and beyond.
View the list of main policy priorities.
ARA at Work
ARA launched a new member service to help ag retailers save money and train more truck drivers while helping them comply with the Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements established in 2022, which have increased operating costs on agribusinesses up to $8,000 per driver and serve as a barrier to entry for individuals interested in obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
By partnering with the National Propane Gas Association's (NPGA) ACE Services, ARA's member service provides the resources needed for behind-the-wheel training to be done in-house with a qualified instructor. Since February 2022, this program has helped more than 2,300 users and trained more than 3,000 drivers.
"Obtaining CDL drivers in ag retail is becoming more challenging each year," said Blake Griffin with GreenPoint Ag in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
"Using the services available from our ARA membership offers a quick and affordable resource for training new drivers for our location. It allows existing employees to obtain a license without the challenges pertaining to work absence or the high schooling cost. We are able to keep the training internal and on our own schedule."
Serving as the FMCSA Registered Training Provider, this program handles:
- FMCSA paperwork and filings;
- FMCSA audits; and
- Training materials and training equipment guidance to meet FMCSA requirements.
DC Help Desk
ARA's DC Help Desk member service is a direct line to ag public policy experts. Send regulatory and legislative questions to the DC Help Desk for support. ARA members may also use this service to request help when scheduling a facility tour with their elected official in Congress.