Ag industry, local government at odds over truck weights

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A group of legislators on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted 33-27 on May 23 to approve amendments to a bill that would start a pilot program for states interested in raising the weight limits of six-axle trucks from 80,000 lbs. to 91,000 on interstate roads.

In another Washington — the county in Iowa over 900 miles away — local officials are more than a little skeptical.

Washington County Engineer Jacob Thorius said at a meeting Tuesday that the program, if approved by the broader legislature, would wreak havoc on state and local roads.

“This is being billed as a pilot for the interstate system, but I don’t know of any noted truck that loads and unloads on the interstate system, it has to start and stop on a local or state road,” he said. “That means more weight on our road, which means more damage to our roads or impacts to our bridges that wouldn’t necessarily be able to carry that kind of weight.”

While some lobbyists have proposed rules that would allow added weight only with additional axles, the proposed pilot program — titled House Resolution 3372 — specifically makes the 11,000 lbs. change for six-axle vehicles.

Thorius said that would mean more concentrated pressure on the pavement, which in turn would mean a shorter life span for the roads without the guarantee of government funds to pay for repairs.

Washington County Supervisors said they worried about the potential for damage.

“I’m old enough to remember 72,000 was the legal limits, it’s been a few years ago,” Board Chair Bob Yoder said. “Just going from 72 to 80, I remember reading reports of how hard it was on our road system. This going from 80 to 91, I would think it would be a disaster.”

A 2016 report to Congress from the DOT found that raising the weight limit from 80,000 to 91,000 on six-axle trucks would lower the life span of roads nationwide by 2.4% to 4.2%. Based on a four-year average of road maintenance, bridge and culvert maintenance and road construction costs provided by the Washington County Engineer’s office, that would mean an added cost of about $112,429 to $188,351 per year for the county of 22,500 people.

Thorius said the change would also require new posted limits on 29 bridges in the county.

The resistance has led to a campaign against the pilot program by a group called the Coalition Against Big Trucks. A news release from that group, dated March 28 of this year, estimates that 72,240 bridges across the country could not handle the increased weight capacity. Iowa has the second-highest number of those bridges, at 5,061.

That news release quoted Buchanan County Engineer Brian Keierleber, who said simply posting signs about the structures’ weight limit would “be a disaster,” expecting drivers to ignore the rules.

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“When a bridge is not rated to handle a heavier truck, it has to be posted, closed and ultimately replaced,” he said. “To those that suggest posting a bridge is sufficient, I’m here to tell you it is not. It is simply not enforceable and trucks routinely violate it. The only time posting works is when I am standing on the bridge. These are structures that would immediately be top-priority replacements. But few local governments have that kind of money.”

Not everyone opposes the pilot program, however. Ag groups across the country have expressed their support for higher weight limits, saying the move would massively improve farmers’ efficiencies.

The Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Soybean Association are among them, both listing grain weight limits of 90,000 lbs. or more resolutions from their respective 2022 policy priority guides.

The Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Soybean Association are among them, each listing grain weight limits of 90,000 lbs. or more in their respective 2022 resolution books, which outline the groups’ policy priorities.

In an interview, ICGA President Denny Friest said the change would help producers immensely, lowering their input costs for gas and their hours spent on the road in an industry where time is money and money is tight.

“The 80,000 limit, that’s about 900 bushels of corn … you can haul 900 bushels every trip to where you’re marketing the corn,” he said. “This here would allow you, probably, around 300 more bushels, every trip you make. There’s an efficiency … you could do as much with six trips as you could with eight or nine trips under the old law.”

Friest said state-level decisions to raise the weight limit — as Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has done during harvest seasons in 2021 and 2022 — were insufficient for many producers’ transport routes.

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“The governor’s proclamation does not force federal highways, we cannot have the same weights on interstate highways,” he said. “So it’s kind of a nuisance for a lot of farmers, if some of their grain hauling goes across interstate to get to an ethanol plant, or something like that.”

While he acknowledged the potential for newfound damage to roads, Friest said participating states could offset costs by raising the licensing fee for companies applying to haul heavier loads.

A 2009 study from the Ankeny-based Soy Transportation Coalition reached a similar conclusion.

“Regardless of whether the federal semi weight limit is 80,000 lbs., 97,000 lbs., or greater, investment in the nation’s bridge system is long overdue,” that study said. “In order to achieve the efficiency gains and congestion relief that increasing semi weight limits can provide, it would be advisable to have an overweight vehicle tax and trust fund for bridge repair and stabilization.”

A spokesperson from the Iowa Soybean Association did not return a call requesting comments.

Members of the Washington County Board of Supervisors said they planned to individually sign a CABT-organized petition to Congress, and potentially draft a joint letter of their own to federal lawmakers on behalf of the county.

"I think we should encourage not only members of the Board of Supervisors, but any members of the public that want to weigh in on it, to go to (the CABT website) and sign onto that letter themselves,“ Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. said.

A spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley declined to comment on the matter, since the policy is currently limited to debates in the House and lacks a companion bill in the senate. Media contacts for Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Sen. Joni Ernst did not reply to emails requesting comments.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com