Michigan Senate Votes Down Plan to Cut State Truck Weight Limit

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Heavy Duty Trucking / December 2, 2014

A plan in Michigan’s Senate to greatly reduce the maximum truck weight along state roadways was defeated Tuesday in a 22-15 vote.

The measure called for reducing the gross truck weight limit from 164,000 pounds (74.4 metric tons) along some routes to the current limit along federal routes of 80,000 (36.3 metric tons).

Supporters of the legislation claimed the extra heavy trucks were unnecessarily damaging Michigan roadways. Opponents, including the Michigan Department of Transportation, said any damage was mitigated by having loads evenly distributed over multiple axles.

According to Mlive.com a truck weighing 164,000 pounds can freely operate in Michigan only if it features 11 separate axles, each carrying 13,000 pounds (5.9 metric tons).

Under federal rules, trucks that weigh 80,000 pounds can carry 17,000 pounds (7.7 metric tons) each on four axles and 12,000 pounds (5.4 metric tons) on a steering axle.

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/12/michigan_roads_bill_to_reduce.html