Overweight Trucks on Highways

Jennifer Moore

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Too many overweight trucks are being allowed on our highways and roads. The government restricts weight to 40 tons on most interstate highways. However, thousands of overweight trucks travel the road causing damage to the road infrastructure. A study showed that one 40 ton truck does as much damage to the road as 9600 cars. Some suspect that overweight trucks caused the damage to the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis.

Fines alone are not enough to combat the problem. More action needs to be taken to prevent overweight trucks from being on the road. This is a safety issue for individuals in other vehicles as well as preventing damage to the roads and bridges.

In the vast majority of cases, a single truck can safely pass over a sound bridge, even if the rig is way over the posted weight limit. But the cumulative effect of stress on the steel and concrete can eventually prove deadly.

In 2000, Milwaukee's Hoan Bridge collapsed when steel girders cracked. Several factors were blamed for the collapse, including a significant number of heavy trucks, some over the normal weight limit, that routinely traveled over the bridge.

Many states charge fees ranging from $12 to $1,000 for overweight-load permits, depending on the weight of the load. Those fees are supposed to offset the damage done to the highways.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.