Truck weight limits a burden on state’s ag producers, rural lawmakers say

Rural lawmakers on the House Transportation Finance Committee raised concerns Thursday to Department of Public Safety officials over limits on commercial truck weights they say are hurting some agricultural producers in their areas.

State law sets limits on how much weight per axle commercial transport vehicles can carry on the state's roadways. The rules, state officials say, are intended to preserve road quality and safety.

But rural members say those limits can lead to big challenges for farmers trying to get goods like milk or corn to market.

Col. Matt Langer, chief of the State Patrol, answers a member question during an overview of traffic enforcement topics at a meeting of the House Transportation Finance Committee Jan. 12. Photo by Paul Battaglia

Discussion over increasing truck weight limits is a common debate amongst lawmakers on House and Senate transportation committees. The issue, legislators and advocates on both sides of the debate say, is between maintaining Minnesota’s roads and moving goods across them efficiently.

MORE Learn more about Minnesota’s truck weight laws

Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) said milk producers in his southeast Minnesota district have increasingly felt the pinch of truck weight limits.

“They are just getting crushed by these fines,” he told department officials, saying small-business owners in his area have been hit with fines of up to $10,000.

Col. Matt Langer of the Minnesota State Patrol told the committee the department often uses a tool called civil weights enforcement that involves examining receipts from recent shipments to search for violations.

LISTEN Audio archive of Thursday's transportation hearing 

Through that process, Langer said, the state found 482 violations last year totaling more than 9.5 million pounds of extra weight.

Rep. Michael Nelson (DFL-Brooklyn Park) acknowledged the weight limits can be tough on farmers, but he urged caution before considering loosening those restrictions.

“We are talking about trying to preserve our roads,” he said.