Proposal would allow timber industry to truck heavier loads on more routes

“Republican lawmakers are considering a bill that would let the forest products industry truck heavier loads on more routes near the Michigan-Wisconsin border, a move supporters say would save time and money, but one that transportation officials warn would further damage the state's roads.

Under current law, a vehicle largely can’t exceed certain size, weight and load requirements unless authorized by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Normally, Wisconsin's DOT limits trucks to carrying 80,000 pounds, but state transportation officials can grant so-called ‘Michigan border permits’ for overweight vehicles to transport loads within 11 miles of the Wisconsin-Michigan border and other designated routes. Under those permits, trucks are allowed to abide by Michigan's maximum weight limit, which is 164,000 pounds, or more than twice the normal limit in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin has already designated a number of timber routes that allow trucks to haul more weight, and the Republican-authored bill would add 10 more. Lawmakers say the proposal comes at the request of timber groups.

Henry Schienebeck, executive director of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, said they’re trying to improve transportation of forest products. He said the change would allow them to use trucks that can carry heavier loads and spread out the weight, so they don’t damage the roads.

‘From our perspective, it's a win-win-win because we're keeping the cost of transportation in check,’ Schienebeck said. ‘There's basically less trucks on the road because we're hauling more payload, and we're doing the same or less damage to the road actually as what we would do with a normal 80,000-pound truck.’

Schienebeck said the industry has struggled with a shortage of drivers and a shift to hauling wood over longer distances.”

Quote from www.wpr.org