Legislation allows higher truck weights in Mississippi, Wisconsin

The House will consider legislation that would allow for higher truck weight limits on portions of interstates in Mississippi and Wisconsin.

   The House will consider legislation that would allow for higher truck weight limits on portions of interstates in Mississippi and Wisconsin.
   The U.S. federal weight limit has been set at 80,000 pounds since 1982. Many shippers meet the limit, but have space left in their trailers, resulting in the use of additional truckloads. The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (SETA), sponsored by Reps. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., and Michael Michaud, D-Maine, as H.R. 612, gives each state the option to set interstate weight limits of up to 97,000 pounds. 
   This higher weight limit would, however, only apply to trucks equipped with six axles instead of the typical five.
   “By allowing shippers to better utilize space in each truck and use fewer trucks to meet demand, SETA would make roads safer – especially as the U.S. economy and population grows,” said the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, a group of 200 shippers and trade associations, in a statement.
   Like more than 40 states across the country, Mississippi and Wisconsin allow certain commodities to be transported on state roads at weights higher than federal Interstate weight limit. SETA contains measures to grandfather existing weight limits when sections of Mississippi and Wisconsin highways become part of the interstate system in 2015.
   “Congress should enact the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act, which safely raises the Interstate weight limit for properly equipped trucks while giving states full control to selectively implement the new limit and make their Interstates more productive,” said John Runyan, the coalition’s executive director. “With freight tonnage moved by trucks reaching record highs, we need to give states more flexibility to manage the safety and productivity of their commercial corridors.”