On July 24, 2014, Congressman Steve Southerland, II of Florida introduced the Right to Haul Act, H.R. 5201 to extend state truck weight limits to the Federal Interstate Highway System, providing relief to agriculture and forestry haulers who have been stifled by inconsistent state and federal truck weight regulations. The Bill would allow existing state legal weight tolerances for agricultural and forestry products on the Federal Interstate Highway System.

Current federal regulations allow a maximum gross weight of 80,000 pounds on the Federal Interstate Highway System, oftentimes forcing agricultural trucks that already have legal state tolerances that allow additional weight to avoid the Interstate Highway System.

The Interstate Highway System was designed to allow the transportation of military equipment oftentimes far exceeding the 80,000 pound weight limit restrictions, and by allowing those agricultural products that currently are allowed additional weight tolerances on many state highways, a much safer and efficient route would be made available from the field to the processing facilities, keeping those loads away from busy intersections in towns and communities where both pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents are more likely to occur.

Members of the American Loggers Council support the Right to Haul Act, H.R. 5201 and are urging members of Congress to support the legislation to ensure the safe and efficient transportation of agriculture and forestry products on the Federal Interstate Highway System.

Courtesy of the American Loggers Council: https://www.americanloggers.org/