Idaho Truckers Now Can Carry 129,000 Pounds on Interstate
As of July 1, Idaho truckers are now able to carry loads up to 129,000 pounds on interstate highways after being allowed to do so on state roads for three years. The change on Idaho's interstates was the result of a provision inserted in the FAST Act by Rep. Mike Simpson.
“I believe applying to our Interstate highways the kind of transparent public process being used on state routes will help ensure successful implementation," Gov. Butch Otter wrote in a letter to Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Jerry Whitehead.
Carriers who want to carry such large loads on state roads must submit an application to Idaho’s Department of Transportation, which will schedule a hearing as well as a 30-day public comment before it can be approved.
Congress imposed an 80,000-pound weight limit on interstate highways in 1991 but grandfathered some higher limits in Western states. Idaho’s limit was then 105,500 pounds while neighboring Wyoming’s was 117,000. Nevada and Utah fleets were allowed to haul loads of up to 129,000 pounds, and Montana’s limit was 130,660.
“This is a really big deal for us,” Idaho Trucking Association President Julie Pipal, said. “It levels the playing field. … When you can add more weight to a safer vehicle, it’s a no-brainer.”
That’s also what Idaho’s Department of Transportation concluded. ITD first conducted a pilot program for 129,000-pound trucks on two state routes from 1998 to 2001. However, carrier participation was limited because the pilot’s relatively short duration and narrow scope weren't worth the sizable investment to upgrade trucks which, according to Pipal, now costs rabout $40,000 per vehicle.
In 2003, Idaho’s Legislature approved a 10-year pilot which was much more successful. Eventually, pilots were run on more than two dozen routes, according to department spokesman Adam Rush.
According to ITD’s 2013 final report on the program, Amalgamated Sugar of Boise, the nation’s second-largest producer of sugar beets, saved an estimated $2.5 million during the decadelong project by being able to haul larger loads. US Ecology Inc., a leading waste management firm in Boise, estimated it saved between $70,000 and $180,000 a year by using nearly 8,000 loads in pilot program trucks.
“Between fiscal years 2004 and 2012, there were 264,169 pilot project trips made by 1,359 trucks from 127 different shipping companies,” ITD’s report said. “The main commodities hauled were sugar beets, hazardous waste, aggregates, agricultural feed, coal, and hay. ITD did not observe any significant effect of the 129,000-pound pilot project trucks on pavements, bridges or roadway safety.”
