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MISSOURI- The Missouri Department of Transportation has extended its emergency declaration until December 22nd.

Because of the wet spring many farmers are still in the fields trying to harvest their crops.

The declaration allows farmers to run their loads at 10% above the required weight limit.

It also allows them to ignore hours of service requirements.

Here are some of the other guidelines that farmers must follow:

Loaded, gross weight cannot be greater than 10% above the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle licensed weight;

Limit the transport of row crops from the farm to a local storage facility and empty return trips to the farm;

When crossing a bridge, the driver must not exceed 45 mph and must center the truck between the two lanes of the bridge;

No interstate travel is permitted

While transporting crops from farm to storage, farmers are not required to follow hours-of-service laws, and;

Farmers must carry a copy of the emergency declaration in each vehicle that operates in response to these relief efforts.

What this also means is that drivers need to pay extra special attention to slow moving vehicles and farm equipment on Missouri roads.

Farmers can dowload a print copy of the emergency declaration at the following address: www.modot.org/mcs.