Trucking Sues New Jersey Over Route Restrictions

February 9, 2000 10:58 AM, EST

Trucking and the state of New Jersey are heading to federal court to do battle over the ban that prohibits many out-of-state trucks from running on most of the state’s secondary road system.

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American Trucking Associations and carrier U.S. Xpress filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., Jan. 31, challenging the constitutionality of the ban imposed by Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to suspend enforcement of the route restrictions.

The governer’s action forces 102-inch wide trucks passing through New Jersey to stay on the 545 miles of major highways specifically designated for commercial vehicles. Local trucks are sometimes 96 inches wide.

The industry considers New Jersey a “bridge” state because so much truck commerce must cross through its jurisdiction on the way to and from northeastern markets.

For the full story, see the Feb. 7 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.