Jobs or safety?
A fight over heavy trucks and the bridges they travel is gearing up for the legislative session that begins in January. And that's the choice that the opposing lobbyists say Georgia faces.
Timber industry advocates say that in order for them to make more money and provide jobs in a tough economy, their trucks must be allowed to carry heavier loads than state law allows.
Local governments say they can hardly afford to fix weakened, rutted bridges and roads as it is. Heavier trucks will just cause even more damage, they say, possibly endangering motorists who are using those roads and bridges. In a worst-case scenario, they raise the specter of a bridge collapse. In addition, opponents such as railroad advocates point out that heavier trucks can take longer to brake.
Businesses that ship by truck have chipped away for years at the regulation that says big trucks can carry only 80,000 pounds. One by one, the Legislature has written exemptions into state law for industries including timber, poultry, farm feed and rocks, saying they can carry up to 84,000 pounds.
Now, pressed by the timber industry, the Legislature is considering a major whack at the weight limit. Under Senate Bill 146, all those businesses could carry up to 88,000 pounds.
Each side is angling to get the state Department of Transportation's board on its side, to help sway the Legislature. Though the DOT has long opposed raising weights or kept a low profile, the board has new members on it, many of them former lawmakers.
Bryan Rogers, Laurens County administrator, told the DOT board at its meeting this week that "the load limits that are caused by log trucks tear our roads to pieces." While he came from a forestry business family himself and respects its importance to his county, he said, "Before long, there is going to be a straw that breaks the camel’s back. That’s what we’re facing."
Wood industry leaders say that for them, it's about an industry in a vise. Tommy Carroll, director of the Southeastern Wood Producers Association, laid out a list of pressures the industry faces, including rising equipment prices and costs. He concluded by saying that "regulation has just kept coming," placing a financial burden on businesses.
At least 141,000 jobs rely on the industry, according to Carroll.
According to the DOT, the state has more than 14,000 bridges and culverts, with just under half owned by the state DOT and the rest by local governments. Local governments have a harder time keeping theirs in good shape. More than 2 percent of locally controlled bridges are in poor condition or worse, according to state figures.
More than 500 bridges were built in the 1930s or earlier. That has become an issue as trucks have grown bigger and heavier than the bridges were originally designed to handle.
DOT engineers were reluctant to take a stand until the board declares its opinion.
Jim Cole, the DOT board member who chairs the legislative committee, said the board was working toward a stance. "I don’t think we’re going to be able to take a position on one size fits all," he said Thursday.
The businesses have prevailed before, and they've got some heavy-hitter support, with Senate President Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, sponsoring the bill.
Jay Roberts, R-Ocilla, chairman of the state House Transportation Committee, said he was open to revising the law, but he hoped all the interest groups could come to consensus on changes first.
He said he understood both sides, including the argument that heavier trucks can cause more wear and tear, but "we’ve got issues throughout the state with bridges that are not just concerning big trucks in general," he said. In addition, he said, the transportation tax referendums that go to voters next summer could pay for bridge repairs.
If a bridge can’t take the higher 88,000-pound load limit, the DOT will post a sign saying heavy trucks can’t drive over it. But some board members and presenters acknowledged that violation of legal limits was a big issue. A 2006 state study found that 16 percent of trucks weighed over a four-day period were in violation of load limits.
“We condone obeying the law,” responded Carroll.
He added that the forestry industry contributes $28.5 billion to the state economy, and millions to state coffers.
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