State lawmakers look to make truck weight rule changes

Truck weight is a regular transportation topic at statehouses.

Legislative pursuits often emphasize a particular commodity, such as construction materials, agricultural products or milk. In other instances, attention can be centered on increasing weight limits for all trucks.

So far this year, proposed revisions to truck weight limits are once again all over the board.

Despite some claims that increased truck size and weight limits would provide benefits that include decreased congestion and reduced greenhouse gas emission, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is opposed to the pursuits.

The Association has pointed out that studies conducted by the Transportation Research Board and the U.S. Department of Transportation concluded otherwise.

Minnesota

Minnesota legislation would do away with rules that permit certain loads to exceed truck weight limits. Instead, the gross weight of all axles for any load would be increased to a maximum 108,000 pounds.

The rule would not apply on highways or streets posted at a lower axle weight.

Special hauling and overweight permits for loads that include fluid milk, unprocessed or raw farm products or unfinished forest products would be eliminated.

Truck loads would still be required to comply with bridge load limits and to be operated under a permit issued by each road authority having jurisdiction over a road used.

The bill, HF1264, is in the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee. The Senate version, SF820, is in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Iowa

An Iowa measure is intended to encourage the U.S. Congress to amend federal law to increase the maximum gross weight allowed for certain large trucks.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 urges Congress to raise the truck weight limit on interstate highways to 96,000 pounds for commercial vehicles with seven axles.

SCR2 points out that a number of exemptions to the 80,000-pound weight limit are provided on certain segments of interstate.

“Commercial vehicle drivers are inconvenienced while navigating the interstate road system by encountering different weight limits on different segments of the same interstate road system within and across state borders,” the non-binding resolution reads.

The resolution adds that it would be in the best interest of Iowa and other states to have the same vehicle weight limits on the interstate road system.

“It is also in the best interest of Iowa to increase the payload capacity of commercial motor vehicles, which may result in fewer vehicles on the interstate road system and improve traffic flow.”

Another bill focuses on milk haulers.

Annual permits are authorized in the state for the operation of vehicles or combinations of vehicles transporting fluid milk products while exceeding the truck weight limitation up to 20,000 pounds per axle and up to 96,000 pounds on primary roads and primary road extensions in cities.

SF258 would authorize the Iowa DOT to issue annual permits for milk haulers up to a maximum of 130,000 pounds. The bill would not amend the 20,000-pounds-per-axle weight limit.

Advocates, including the Iowa DOT, have said the change “has the potential to support economic development and harmonize milk transport weights with other states in the region.” Critics have expressed concern about potential safety implications and the road impact of heavier trucks.

Kansas

In Kansas, a Senate bill was turned back that sought to exempt grain haulers and other agricultural goods haulers from certain truck weight limits.

SB17 called for permitting affected hauls during the normal harvest season to be up to 10% greater than the maximum weight allowed for vehicles with tandem, triple or quad axles or 12.5% greater than the maximum weight allowed for vehicles with a single rear axle. Vehicles and combinations could weigh up to 90,000 pounds.

Supporters have noted about 25 states have an overweight exemption for grain and/or agricultural goods, and about 15 states have an overweight permit available for the same loads.

The Kansas DOT testified that increasing the axle weights would increase the long-term maintenance costs for bridges on state and local systems.

The Kansas Motor Carriers Association encouraged lawmakers to “carefully evaluate the long-term implications of the proposed changes, including their impact on infrastructure and road safety.”

Mississippi

Mississippi House lawmakers voted to advance a bill that would benefit concrete and solid waste haulers.

HB150 would increase the maximum gross truck weight for concrete haulers and solid waste transport to 64,000 pounds for vehicles with three-axle configurations. A maximum gross weight limit of 72,000 pounds would be set for vehicles with four-axle configurations.

The maximum axle distribution weights would be 22,000 pounds for any single axle, 48,000 pounds for any two-axle tandem and 57,000 pounds for any three-axle tandem.

The bill has moved to the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee.

Nebraska

Milk haulers are the focus of a Nebraska bill.

LB561 would create a special permit to allow vehicles transporting raw milk from dairy farms to processing facilities to carry loads up to 15% heavier than the maximum legal weight limit. No single axle would be permitted to bear more than 20,000 pounds.

Any damage caused to a prohibited bridge by overweight raw-milk vehicles would be the financial responsibility of the hauler.

A fiscal note attached to the bill reported that the damage done to the pavement from truck axle loads increases at an exponential rate as the load increases. NDOT estimated the new truck weight limit would cause about 16 times more pavement damage.

Tennessee

In Tennessee, legislation calls for a bump in certain truck weights.

Specifically, HB770/SB781 would open the door to setting an 85,000-pound limit for maximum gross vehicle weight of a vehicle with an axle group of three axles, or tridem axles.

Each bill is in its chamber’s respective transportation committee.

Texas

A Texas Senate bill addresses certain vehicles with shifting loads, particularly those used to haul aggregate material.

A bill analysis states that affected trucks violate current single- and tandem-axle truck weight limits and may be ticketed for that violation despite being under the overall gross weight limit.

SB70 would allow a vehicle or combination of vehicles transporting aggregates to operate at a maximum axle weight that is not heavier than 20,000 pounds for a single axle or 34,000 pounds for a tandem axle. A tolerance allowance of 15% of that allowable weight would be permitted, provided that the maximum gross weight does not exceed 80,000 pounds.

The bill defines aggregates as “any commonly recognized construction material originating from an aggregate production operation from which an operator extracts dimension stone, crushed and broken limestone, crushed and broken granite, crushed and broken stone not elsewhere classified, construction sand and gravel, industrial sand, dirt, soil or caliche.”

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles reported that the rule revision would result in 23,000 fewer over-axle/over-gross-weight tolerance permits being issued annually.

Advocates have said that offering vehicles that transport aggregate material a tolerance allowance could enable them to avoid ticketing and fees, which could increase business productivity.

Natural gas and electric battery-powered truck weights

Multiple states are pursuing rule revisions to authorize heavier trucks powered by alternative fuel.

In 2015, Congress passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. The act raised the weight limit for natural gas and electric battery-powered tractor-trailers to 82,000 pounds.

The federal act authorizes states to raise the weight on interstates within their borders.

Legislation in South Carolina, H3944, would authorize electric-powered trucks to weigh up to 82,000 pounds – up from 80,000 pounds.

Two Illinois bills, HB2394 and SB1948, would do the same for electric-powered trucks and hydrogen-fueled trucks. The state already permits the additional weight for natural gas-powered trucks.

A Texas bill, HB2999, would authorize the weight exception for hydrogen-fueled trucks. Electric-powered trucks weighing up to 82,000 pounds already are authorized for travel in the state. LL

More Land Line coverage of state news is available.