The Georgia Senate passed a bill to increase the maximum weight limit for tractor-trailers hauling forest and agricultural products by several tons, despite warnings from government officials that the heavier loads are dangerous and costly.
With just days left in the 2023 legislative session, the Senate bill is very different from a House proposal to allow heavier big rigs. Lawmakers argue that it’s crucial that logging trucks can carry heavier loads to keep small operations running and to distribute goods more efficiently.
Senators approved Thursday by a vote of 44 to 5 House bill 189, raising the weight limit for logging trucks and tractor-trailers hauling vegetables, solid waste and recycling materials from 84,000 pounds to 88,000 pounds. The Georgia House sent HB 189 to the Senate in early March to meet the Crossover Day deadline.
That session, when Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s COVID-19 emergency declaration, which allowed trucks to haul more than the legal limit, expired, the Debate on truck weights intensified. A large truck could haul up to 95,000 pounds of goods on Georgia’s state highways and local roads under these orders.
Senate version sets a sunset clause for July 1, 2024 and lowers the weight threshold by 7,000 pounds from Kemp’s Executive Orders. In addition, the Senate plan restricts the heaviest trucks from driving in the multi-county metropolis of Atlanta, reduces the maximum distance from 250 miles to 75 miles, and allows local law enforcement agencies.
Republican Senator Russ Goodman said neighboring states allowed loads in excess of £98,000, which put Georgia at a disadvantage.
“I look to this law as a lifeline for the people I represent who are providing food and fiber to all of our constituents,” Goodman said. “Without our #1 Industry, we are no longer Georgia.”
Lobbyists and others gather around the television monitor as the Senate votes on HB 189. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
Frank Ginn, a Republican senator from Danielsville, said he knows the dangers of heavy trucks that have a tendency to tip over. He recalled a truckload that exceeded 131,000 pounds and a fatal accident involving a logging truck near his home.
State law enforcement officials testified during the committee hearings that they are understaffed when it comes to enforcing weight restrictions.
“It’s dangerous for all of us to put grotesquely overweight trucks on the road,” Ginn said. “Not only is it destroying our road system, it’s also killing people.”
Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Greg Dolezal said the Sunset provision is necessary to engage freight and logistics agencies in discussions about how to fund billions of dollars for road and bridge maintenance. The Senate committee also rejected proposals to impose new taxes on products shipped from retailers like Amazon.
“This bill, as it came out of the House of Representatives, was dead when it arrived in the Transportation Committee, so we’ve found a carefully crafted compromise for the people of central and south Georgia to do their jobs in forestry and agriculture,” said Dolezal. “A compromise that addresses a lot of the concerns of locals, who are worried about funding, who are worried about security, who are worried about things like the sunset. Most important are those who want the ability to enforce these laws in their own jurisdiction.”
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