Shipper Checklist

                                                          SHIPPER CHECKLIST

                              FOR TRANSPORTATION OF EXEMPT LIVESTOCK

This Checklist is intended for use by persons or businesses seeking the benefit of compensated hauling of exempt livestock by carriers other than carriers operating pursuant to a license or certificate issued by either the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or any state agency responsible for the registration or licensing for for-hire motor carriers.

This Checklist is NOT INTENDED AS LEGAL ADVICE and must not be relied upon as such.  The Checklist is intended, instead, merely to assist the Checklist’s user in identifying some issues which may relate to any transportation relationship established through use of the EmptyTrailer.com website.  If unfamiliar with the establishment and scope of shipper-carrier relationships, it is recommended that advice be sought from your attorney or a qualified transportation professional.  

1.         EXEMPT LIVESTOCK TRANSPORTATION - INTERSTATE (No Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration “MC” license required).

Are the animals you will transport considered an exempt commodity for FMCSA licensing purposes?

INTRASTATE (pickup and delivery within the same state) Individual states do not necessarily follow the same approach as does the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with respect to authority requirements, generally, and exemptions, specifically. If your proposed service is INTRASTATE in character, check local rules.

2.         CARRIER SAFETY HISTORY:  While a carrier transporting exempt animals is not required to have an “MC number” evidencing a license or certificate issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it is almost certain that an exempt carrier offering you transportation services should have an USDOT Number, which is required of both private and commercial haulers.  With that USDOT Number, you can utilize the FMCSA online service to determine any safety information relating to the carrier in the FMCSA SAFER system.  You can use the link below to access the SAFER system, where you can enter the USDOT Number in order to examine any relevant safety history for the carrier:

            https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx

3.         ANIMAL SAFETY:  Regulations adopted under the federal Animal Welfare Act address issues relating to the transportation of various warm-blooded animals.  Pertinent regulations can be found here:

            https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-9/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-3/subpart-F

It is advisable that you verify the exempt carrier’s familiarity with such regulations as relating to the animal(s) for which you seek transport.

4.         INSURANCE: While carriers operating pursuant to an FMCSA license or certificate (“MC Number”) are required to have evidence of liability insurance on file and reviewable online, the same is not true for exempt carriers.  It is advisable that at the time of hiring an exempt carrier you obtain and verify information regarding the exempt carrier’s liability coverage.   “Liability coverage” addresses claims by third parties for personal injury or property damage arising from a carrier’s negligence.  It does not, however, provide insurance for loss or damage to cargo.  It is advisable that cargo coverage for an exempt carrier is verified and is not restricted against compensated hauling.  It should be noted that any carrier coverage may limit or exclude coverage for items of extraordinary value.  Greater security may come from making sure your own insurance extends to transportation loss or injury to your animal(s) while in the possession of a third party.