4Hooves Equine Transport Policies & Recommendations
Legal For-Hire Commercial Transporter
US DOT #2491017 MC #53159
We have been transporting equines for friends, associates, and family for years before deciding to provide the service for hire. Once deciding to provide the service for hire, we were fortunate to have a friend and fellow equine transporter help us navigate the process to become a "legal" transporter. The process was confusing, complex, and expensive but definitely worth it to give our client's peace of mind. Our drivers have over two decades of commercial driving experience and are skilled when it comes to hauling a live-load and navigating routes of travel. We strive to maintain compliance with the requirements mandated by the US DOT and FMCSA.
Maintaining our "legal for hire" status means that we are held to a high standard and have to work hard to meet the annual requirements set forth by the FMCSA and US DOT. Our trucks and trailers receive an annual federal safety inspection which is more detailed than the annual state safety inspection. Our drivers have to be physically examined by a doctor, who is authorized to provide "Medical Cards", yearly and keep that card with them at all times while driving as proof that they are healthy enough, without any serious medical conditions, to be a commercial driver. In addition, our drivers are subjected to random drug screenings that have to be submitted by the medical facility therefore can not be altered. We are required to pull into interstate weigh stations and Agricultural Inspection Stations along the route. Our drivers are held to a set number of hours they can be actively driving and even "on-duty" when not driving, therefore you can ensure that the person responsible for transporting your equine(s) is rested and not sleep deprived when trying to drive to make a deadline. US DOT / FMCSA requires at least 8 hours of "off duty" (sleep / rest) time after driving no more than 12 hours per 24 hour period, this is why we add a night or nights of lodging into our schedule for long distance transports. The driver's on-duty, off-duty, and driving hours must be logged in ink or electronically and are subject to be reviewed by law enforcement and division of motor vehicle authorities for any discrepancies and wrongdoings and those drivers are subject to license suspension and removal from the roadways if issues are discovered. We also have to maintain a valid Commercial Insurance Policy on our vehicles with a minimum coverage limit of $750,000.00 to be compliant with the requirements of the US DOT/FMCSA. The Commercial Vehicle Insurance Policy is in addition to our Commercial Liability Insurance Policy which provides coverage pertaining to the "cargo" (definition includes equines and other livestock) we are transporting. If an incident occurs during a transport and the transporter is not "legal for-hire" for transporting equines or other livestock across state lines, the insurance company most likely will refuse to pay any claims since the person or company with the policy should not have been providing a "for-hire" service and therefore was transporting the "cargo" illegally according to the US DOT, FMCSA, and most insurance companies. Each year the costs associated with maintaining a legal for-hire status is in the thousands of dollars and for a small business to go to great lengths to cover those costs and do what is required to remain legal says a lot about their dedication to their business, personnel, vehicles, equipment, and their client's equines.
For more information about why hiring a "legal for-hire" transporter should be the only option for your equine, visit our "Choosing Another Equine Transporter" webpage.