State Legislature

Truck weights limiting agriculture

Debates on acceptable truck weight limits are occurring at both the state and federal levels. The U.S. House has introduced the Safe, Flexible and Efficient (SAFE) Trucking Act to increase commercial truck weights, but Michigan legislators are trying to decrease current levels.

Michigan Agri-Business Association President Jim Byrum tells Brownfield, Michigan currently has heavy truck weight limits and other states in the Midwest are moving in that direction.

“The governor of Iowa just signed an allowable truck weight of 90,000 pounds for trucks during harvest season, we’re seeing Ohio and Indiana look at heavier truck weights, we’re also seeing the federal government look at increasing truck weights.”

He says while studies show more axles better distribute weight and do less damage to roads, some politicians in Michigan want to reduce the current 160,000 pound weight limit. Byrum says if the limits are reduced, it will mean more trucks on the roads and more traffic.

As a peninsula, Byrum says heavier truck weights make trucking more competitive with other states in the Great Lakes.  “Ontario has heavier truck weights already.” He says, “We can take our heavy trucks to the Port of Toledo, or grain operations in Toledo, or fertilizer terminals in Toledo or Maumee, we can do the same on the Illinois side as well, and the Indiana side.”

Byrum says some state legislators are targeting trucks as a way to fix Michigan’s deteriorating roads.  “We haven’t upgraded those roads that had certain lifespan and they’ve outlived that lifespan by decades.”

Byrum was part of an Ag Leaders in Michigan display which parked heavy trucks on the Capitol lawn Wednesday in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of trucking to agriculture and the economy.

AUDIO: Interview with Jim Byrum (4:15 mp3):