SPRINGFIELD (IRN) — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed an emergency declaration Friday to allow increased weight limits for Illinois agriculture haulers on Illinois roads.
Last month Rauner signed a law allowing permanently increased haul limits for permitted vehicles during harvest season, but that doesn’t take effect until Jan. 1. He said the declaration he signed Friday in Auburn at The Ladage Farm doesn’t have as much to do with the weather as it does with making Illinois farmers more competitive.
“The right answer for the permanent competitiveness of Illinois farmers is to make sure that our truckers and our commodities haulers and our farmers can get their product to market, fast, efficient, cost effectively,” Rauner said. “And 10 percent more weight now here in the fall can be on our commodities truckers going in.”
“That means every ten loads we’d have another load to haul so that’s gonna save us time and wear and tear and makes our harvest much quicker,” Ladage farm operator Brent Ladage said. “It adds up a lot, too.”
Illinois Farm Bureau’s Mark Reichert said the order and new law means trucks won’t have to vary their weights going from Illinois to neighboring states.
“So we’ve kind of mirrored now all of the states around, so there’s kind of an equilibrium now,” Reichert said.
Asked if possible increased wear and tear on local roads is an unfunded mandate on local taxpayers who pay to maintain the roads, Rauner he didn’t see that way.
“No, this is regulatory relief,” Rauner said. “This is cutting mandates, cutting regulations, which I’m all about. Eliminate as many regulations. This is freeing it up. There’s less regulatory restrictions now on our farmers.”
Rauner said fewer trucks on the road also diminishes wear and tear to roads that local taxpayers would have to maintain.
State Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, said increased haul limits also is about safety.
“Less vehicles on the road which is very important with school season now going and schools are back in session,” Severin said.
Starting Monday, haulers can request permits for increased limits from the Illinois Department of Transportation.