By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
MARCH 21, 2023 | When driving on Interstate highways, do you notice how many people drive constantly in the left lane of Interstate highways?? Ever wonder why?
There’s a simple answer. The 18-wheel or more trucks are required to drive in the right lane. That simply means that the right lanes of the Interstate system have more bumps and are much rougher to drive on because of the pounding that the heavy trucks on the pavement.
Guess what? Roads all over Georgia could get rougher and bumpier if the Georgia legislature passes new rules allowing heavier trucks on our roads. A measure already passed the House (though by a close vote of 93-81) to allow those big trucks to increase their gross weights on the road to 88,000 pounds, up 10 percent from the present limit of 80,000 pounds. The proposed higher weight limits for trucks will sorely pulverize our roads quicker, and not only that, make our roads far less safe.
Truckers, led by the Georgia Motor Trucking Association, are pounding on the Senate doors to make sure this new proposal passes.
If so, it will cost Georgians thousands in repairs to its roads, simply because this increased weight limit will wear out our roads faster. That’s not even considering the increased safety hazards that the heavier trucks pose to every vehicle that trucks meet, follow, or pass.
Who will pay for the heavier pounding of the roads? For sure, not the truckers. Simply, Georgia’s 159 counties will have to find monies to pay for these more impacted roads, that is, Georgia’s citizens, no less than you and me.
That’s right. Counties might have to raise additional revenue (that’s called “taxes.”) to pay for the additional damage from another four tons per truck pounding damage to our roads.
Interestingly, the nation’s Interstate highways limit the gross weight of trucks to an 80,000 pound limit, the same as are the limits currently in Georgia for all roads. But now the trucking industry is insisting on raising the Georgia limit to 88,000 pounds. These trucks with the heavier weight limits therefore can’t use the Interstate system, but must use highways funded by state government.
Of course, this doesn’t limit the damages to the roads to Georgia rural counties. The cities of Georgia will also see their roads damaged more with the heavier dump trucks and 18 wheelers, et al.
Think, too, of bridges. State and local bridges in Georgia aren’t designed to exceed weights of 80,000 pounds per truck. You wonder how many Georgia bridges will fail with the heavier weights on them. For sure, costly bridge repairs will be needed much sooner with the higher weight limits of trucks crunching the pavement.
We applaud the American trucking industry for supplying a mighty benefit to our nation. It moves 80 percent of all our goods in an amazing delivery system. Our nation could not exist without trucking.
Yet heavier trucks are not the answer in Georgia, based not only on cost measures, but also based on safety levels.
Ask your legislator to hold the line on expanding the weight limits on trucks on Georgia’s roads. Keep our highways healthier and safer for our citizens by not imposing higher weight limits for the trucking industry.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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