ATLANTA — Georgia roadways are full of trucks packed with holiday deliveries while law enforcement officers watch for those packed a little too full.
11Alive spent some time with officers with the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Compliance Division as they searched for trucks violating Georgia law.
In a parking lot near I-75, Officer Val Clendenon inspected a truck that he suspected was overweight, and the Department of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Compliance Division wants a closer look. The truck is hauling heavy stone that’s piled a little too high for Officer Clendenon's taste.
“He had a huge hump,” said Officer Clendenon. “That’s usually an indication he’s overweight. Once I got behind him I was able to see his tires bulging. That’s another indicator.”
Using a set of portable scales, Officer Clendenon determined that the truck was more than 8,000 pounds over the legal limit.
“Most of them (truck drivers) don’t know if they’re overweight,” said Clendenon. “They don’t know the law. They’ll get an invoice and they’ll think that’s ok, but it’s not.”
This year, officers have issued citations for trucks that were anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 pounds overweight. There’s also the truck that damaged the Mt. Vernon Highway bridge over I-285. It was 40,000 pounds overweight.
According to a report from the Georgia Department of Transportation, allowing trucks to carry 10,000 extra pounds would take eight years off of the life of a highway.
There’s also the increased risk of rollover crashes.
But officers can’t catch them all.
“We’re shorthanded in Atlanta as it is,” said Lt. Luke Montgomery. “The officers are out there. You can’t be in every place every time.”
Thankfully, Officer Clendenon was in the right place to catch the overweight truck carrying rocks along I-75.
His keen eye has made Atlanta’s interstates a little bit safer.
Pushing to increase the weights are companies that move commodities and components around the state — home builders, timber growers, poultry producers, concrete makers, and cattlemen. Heavier trucks mean fewer trips, fewer drivers, and less spent to move each load, their lobbyists say.
On the other side have been local leaders, worried about the damage to roads and bridges they’ll have to pay for when the infrastructure wears out 33% sooner with heavier trucks. Rail companies say the extra freight can go by train instead. Safety advocates have stated the obvious during hearings on the bill — that anything heavier, including a loaded big rig, takes longer to slow down on the road.
FEDERAL DOT-- Crash Rates
Heavier trucks with six axles—both 91,000-pound and 97,000-pound configurations—were found to have higher crash rates in limited state testing:
- Idaho – 99 percent higher crash rates for six-axle trucks up to 97,000 pounds
- Michigan – 400 percent higher crash rates for six-axle trucks up to 97,000 pounds
- Washington – 47 percent higher crash rates for six-axle trucks up to 91,000 pounds
USDOT’s finding translates to $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion in estimated pavement damage per year.