WEIGHT LIMITS; EXEMPT WRECKERS S.B. 640:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 640 (as introduced 9-15-21)
Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to exempt a wrecker towing a disabled vehicle or traveling to or from the location of a disabled vehicle for the purpose of towing or servicing the disabled vehicle from seasonal reductions in maximum axle loads prescribed by the Code and from certain gross vehicle weight requirements on interstate highways.
The Code prescribes maximum axle loads and gross vehicle weights for various configurations of vehicles. Except as otherwise provided, the maximum axle load may not exceed a designated number of pounds (known as the normal loading maximum) based on the distance between axles.
The Code reduces the maximum axle load allowable during the months of March, April, and May on concrete pavements by 25% and on all other types of roads by 35%. The Code also allows the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), or a local authority with respect to highways under its jurisdiction, to designate an interstate highway or a section of an interstate highway for the operation of vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight of not more than 80,000 pounds and that are subject to the following load maximums:
-- 20,000 pounds on any one axle, including all enforcement tolerances.
-- A tandem axle weight of 34,000 pounds, including all enforcement tolerances.
-- An overall gross weight on a group of two or more consecutive axles as determined by a formula prescribed by the Code.
Under the bill, the seasonal reduction and gross vehicle weight requirements described above would not apply to a wrecker towing a disabled vehicle or traveling to or from the location of a disabled vehicle for the purpose of towing or servicing the disabled vehicle. ("Wrecker" means a truck with a hoist, towing apparatus, or self-loading flatbed, or any combination of these items, permanently affixed to the truck, used to transport not more than two vehicles, except for a motor vehicle equipped with a fifth wheel or a motor vehicle that tows the second vehicle on a trailer.)
MCL 257.722 Legislative Analyst: Tyler VanHuyse
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minor negative fiscal impact on MDOT and local governments that charge a fee for overweight permits. The number of wreckers that would need an overweight permit is not known. Data from the 2010s show that the number of registered wreckers in Michigan
ranges between 150 and 250. Overweight permit fees for travel on the trunkline typically range between $100 and $191, depending on the length of time for which the permit will be valid, usually between one and two years.
The permitting system for the State's roads does not generate substantial revenue for the trunkline system for road and bridge repairs. The revenue that is generated for trunkline overweight permits is nominal and is designed to cover administrative costs for the permitting office. Restricted revenue dedicated to road and bridge construction and repair projects comes from gas taxes and registration fees.
In general, weight restrictions are intended to preserve the existing State and local road network. Heavier loads and increased pounds per square inch of tire on the roadway, over time, could increase roadway deterioration. An indirect cost to the State and local governments because of loosened weight restrictions would be the faster deterioration of roadways.
Fiscal Analyst: Michael Siracuse
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.