Bill to Lower Weight Limits on Trucks Rejected

The Michigan Senate rejected a bill yesterday that would reduce Michigan’s 164,000-pound gross weight limit for trucks to 80,000 pounds. The measure failed by a vote of 15-22, with most Republicans voting in opposition. It has long been debated whether Michigan’s 164,000-pound limit spread over 11 axles is a major factor in the deteriorating condition of the state’s roads. Defenders of the limit have said Michigan’s limit actually means fewer pounds per axle than in other states that allow spreading 80,000 pounds over five axles. Three Republicans voted with all 12 Democrats in favor of the bill, but that still left the measure five votes short of passage.