Your horse doesn’t care whether the trailer matches the truck pulling it or whether your living quarters boast a state-of-the-art stereo system. But your horse does care that he can load and offload without slipping or scrambling, ride as comfortably as possible, breathe fresh air (with a minimum of dust and exhaust fumes), rest during a long trip, and put his head down once in a while to clear his respiratory passages of inhaled particles. The information in our transportation section should help ease the stress.
Electronic Logging Device Requirements in the United States
The rule limits the amount of time a commercial truck driver can drive and mandates a specific amount of off-duty/non-driving time, and requires the use of electronic logging devices to track the driving and non-driving times.
Transporters of livestock and insects are not required to have an ELD. The statutory exemption will remain in place until further notice. Drivers do not need to carry any documentation regarding this exemption.
It is important to verify with the State commercial motor vehicle authorities to determine which regulations apply in each state as they may differ.
Please follow this link for more information relating to hauling horses wihtin these regulations – Federal Motor Carrier Commercial Safety Association FMCSA
TRAILER INFORMATION RESOURCES
If you have questions about towing a horse trailer in B.C., here are links to some good information:
- Compliance Circular for Boat, Horse, Snowmobile, Automobile and Motorcycle – Non-Commercial Towing/Trailering
- Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch Info Sheet – Trailer Towing – Frequently Asked Questions dated 2008.
- Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch Info Sheet – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Frequenty Asked Questions dated 2003.
Additional websites that contain excellent resources:
- US Rider Equestrian Motor Plan
- etrailer.com.
- They have information on a number of subjects related to trailers, trailer wiring & towing.
- Certified Livestock Transportation
- This site is an excellent resource of information for commercial and private horse haulers.
DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS FOR HAULING A HORSE TRAILER IN BC
See Licensing for Recreation Vehicles information sheet from ICBC.
ICBC also has a study guide for learning how to tow a recreation vehicle and the information can be applied to horse trailers.
- Before You Tow,
- Pre Trip Inspection,
- Driving with a Trailer – includes information on braking and how much space to allow for stopping and on driving in icy or wet conditions.
A COMMON TRANSPORTATION QUESTION
Scenario:
An HCBC member is leasing a horse, they are trailering the leased horse and they are involved in an accident. Does the third party liability insurance cover them as a non owned horse or is the lessee considered the owner in this case?
Answer:
In the situation of non commercial transportation of non owned horses the lessee would have to be found responsible for the accident. There is coverage with the basic HCBC membership for non commercial transportation of non owned horses but the horse owner would have to take legal action against the person trailering the horse and the maximum per horse that would be rewarded is $10,000.00 per horse. If anyone was to purchase the Members Named Peril (MNP) coverage it should be the owner. This would give a maximum payout of $4,000.00. If the horse is worth more an Equi Care policy would be ideal.
Get Social