TheTrucker.com

Georgia lawmakers strike deal on truck weight limits

Reading Time: 2 minutes
Georgia lawmakers strike deal on truck weight limits
The debate over truck weights pit logging, farming and trucking groups against city and county governments and the Georgia Department of Transportation, which fiercely opposed boosting truck weights.

ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers reached a last-minute deal early Thursday, March 30, to increase the weight limit for some trucks traveling state highways.

The legislature gave final passage to House Bill 189, which would allow a weight limit of 88,000 pounds for trucks hauling agricultural and forest commodities. The current limit on state roads is 80,000 pounds, but trucks are allowed a variance of up to 84,000 pounds.

If Gov. Brian Kemp signs the measure into law, the greater weight would be allowed only on local roads and state highways, not interstates. The heavier trucks could only travel within a 150-mile radius of their point of origin and wouldn’t be allowed in 13 core metro Atlanta counties.

House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise on the final day of the 2023 legislative session and the Senate cast the final vote at several minutes past midnight. A key part of the deal was that the higher weight limits would expire on July 1, 2025.

And while truck weights in Georgia are now enforced only by the state Motor Carrier Compliance Division, lawmakers agreed to allow local police and sheriff’s departments to write tickets for overweight trucks stopped on local roadways.

The debate over truck weights pit logging, farming and trucking groups against city and county governments and the state Department of Transportation, which fiercely opposed boosting truck weights.

Groups seeking the increase said they could save money by hauling more freight per trip. Loggers argued the change could make the difference between profit and loss in their low-margin industry.

But opponents warned that heavier trucks will cause more damage to roads and bridges, requiring expensive repairs, and possibly cause more crashes because of increased stopping distance.

Trucks would remain limited to 80,000 pounds on interstate highways.

The Senate insisted on an expiration date for the increase, saying Georgia needs to increase funding for its transportation system. Lawmakers have been pushing for a statewide freight and logistics plan, but it would cost another $1 billion a year, at least, to pay for projects including wider highways, improved interchanges and expanded railroads.

Kemp had been allowing heavy trucks that get special permits to haul up to 95,000 pounds, under a supply chain emergency order that he repeatedly renewed. But that order finally expired on March 11, reducing the limit to 84,000 pounds.

The Associated Press Logo

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. The Trucker Media Group is subscriber of The Associated Press has been granted the license to use this content on TheTrucker.com and The Trucker newspaper in accordance with its Content License Agreement with The Associated Press.

Avatar for The Associated Press
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. The Trucker Media Group is subscriber of The Associated Press has been granted the license to use this content on TheTrucker.com and The Trucker newspaper in accordance with its Content License Agreement with The Associated Press.
For over 30 years, the objective of The Trucker editorial team has been to produce content focused on truck drivers that is relevant, objective and engaging. After reading this article, feel free to leave a comment about this article or the topics covered in this article for the author or the other readers to enjoy. Let them know what you think! We always enjoy hearing from our readers.

COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE