House Study Bill 54 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON CARLSON) A BILL FOR An Act permitting the transportation of raw forest and 1 agricultural products on motor vehicles exceeding certain 2 maximum gross weight limitations. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1887YC (2) 87 ns/nh

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.463, subsection 3, Code 2017, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 3. Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter to 3 the contrary, indivisible loads operating under the permit 4 requirements of sections 321E.7 , 321E.8 , 321E.9 , 321E.26, and 5 321E.29A shall be allowed a maximum of twenty thousand pounds 6 per axle. 7 Sec. 2. Section 321E.7, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended 8 by adding the following new paragraph: 9 NEW PARAGRAPH . f. Raw forest and agricultural product 10 transporters operating under a permit issued pursuant to 11 section 321E.26 shall not exceed the axle and gross weights 12 specified in that section. 13 Sec. 3. Section 321E.14, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended 14 by adding the following new paragraph: 15 NEW PARAGRAPH . j. One hundred dollars for a permit issued 16 pursuant to section 321E.26 for a vehicle or combination 17 of vehicles with a maximum gross weight of ninety thousand 18 pounds or less, and one hundred seventy-five dollars for a 19 permit issued pursuant to section 321E.26 for a combination of 20 vehicles with a maximum gross weight of ninety-eight thousand 21 pounds or less but more than ninety thousand pounds. 22 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 321E.26 Transportation of raw forest 23 and agricultural products. 24 1. A permit-issuing authority may issue annual permits 25 for the operation of a vehicle or combination of vehicles 26 transporting raw forest products, fruits, or vegetables from 27 fields to storage or processing facilities. A vehicle or 28 combination of vehicles for which a permit is issued under this 29 section may exceed the maximum gross weight limitations set 30 forth under section 321.463, subsection 5, paragraphs “a” and 31 “b” , by not more than ten thousand pounds. The combined gross 32 weight or gross weight on any axle or group of axles of the 33 vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the limits 34 established under section 321.463. 35 -1- LSB 1887YC (2) 87 ns/nh 1/ 3

H.F. _____ 2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, a combination of vehicles 1 for which a permit is issued under this section that is 2 transporting raw forest products may exceed the maximum gross 3 weight limitations set forth under section 321.463, subsection 4 5, paragraphs “a” and “b” , by not more than eighteen thousand 5 pounds if the combination of vehicles has six or more axles 6 and the gross weight on any one axle does not exceed eighteen 7 thousand pounds and the gross weight on any steering axle does 8 not exceed thirteen thousand pounds or the manufacturer’s rated 9 capacity, whichever is greater, but not more than eighteen 10 thousand pounds. Any axle of a combination of vehicles that 11 does not impose on the highway at least eight percent of 12 the gross weight of the combination of vehicles shall not be 13 counted as an axle for the purposes of this subsection. 14 3. A vehicle or combination of vehicles for which a permit 15 is issued under this section shall not travel on any portion of 16 the interstate highway system. 17 4. For the purposes of this section, “raw forest products” 18 means logs, pilings, posts, poles, cordwood products, wood 19 chips, sawdust, pulpwood, intermediary lumber, fuel wood, and 20 Christmas trees not altered by a manufacturing process off the 21 land, sawmill, or factory from which the products were taken. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 This bill allows the department of transportation and local 26 authorities to issue annual permits authorizing a vehicle or 27 combination of vehicles to transport raw forest products, 28 fruits, or vegetables from fields to storage or processing 29 facilities. A vehicle or combination of vehicles for which a 30 permit is issued under the bill may exceed the maximum gross 31 weight limitations set forth under Code section 321.463, 32 subsection 5, paragraphs “a” and “b” , by not more than 10,000 33 pounds. 34 However, the bill allows a combination of vehicles for which 35 -2- LSB 1887YC (2) 87 ns/nh 2/ 3

H.F. _____ a permit is issued under the bill that is transporting raw 1 forest products to exceed the maximum gross weight limitations 2 by not more than 18,000 pounds if the combination of vehicles 3 has six or more axles and the gross weight on any one axle does 4 not exceed 18,000 pounds and the gross weight on any steering 5 axle does not exceed 13,000 pounds or the manufacturer’s rated 6 capacity, whichever is greater, but not more than 18,000 7 pounds. The bill provides that any axle of a combination of 8 vehicles that does not impose on the highway at least 8 percent 9 of the gross weight of the combination of vehicles will not be 10 counted as an axle for the purposes of this provision. 11 The bill prohibits a vehicle or combination of vehicles for 12 which a permit is issued under the bill from traveling on any 13 portion of the interstate highway system. 14 The bill defines “raw forest products” to mean logs, 15 pilings, posts, poles, cordwood products, wood chips, sawdust, 16 pulpwood, intermediary lumber, fuel wood, and Christmas trees 17 not altered by a manufacturing process off the land, sawmill, 18 or factory from which the products were taken. 19 The bill provides that the annual permit fee is $100 for 20 vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a maximum gross 21 weight of 90,000 pounds or less, and $175 for combinations of 22 vehicles with a maximum gross weight of 98,000 pounds or less 23 but more than 90,000 pounds. 24 -3- LSB 1887YC (2) 87 ns/nh 3/ 3