HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2168

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to a study of commercial vehicle weight limits.

Brief Description:  Directing a temporary study of truck weight.

Sponsor(s):  Representative R. Meyers.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, March 5, 1991, DPA.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.  Signed by 25 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; R. Meyers, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Cantwell; Cooper; Day; G. Fisher; Forner; Haugen; Heavey; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Kremen; Mitchell; Nelson; Orr; Prentice; Schmidt; Wilson; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Brough.

Staff:  Mary McLaughlin (786-7309).

Background:  One of the trucking issues identified for further study at the close of the 1990 interim was the movement of overweight containerized cargo on Washington's highways.  Currently, insufficient data is available on the number of containers being moved on our highways that may be overweight.

Summary of Amended Bill:  From April 1 to December 1, 1991, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) will enter into a pilot project aimed at identifying (1) to what extent the problem of highway damage is attributable to the movement of overweight containers coming into and leaving Washington ports, and (2) the number of overweight trucks transporting containers.

State Patrol personnel are responsible for weighing trucks carrying containers to and from the ports of Tacoma and Seattle during the pilot project.  No citations will be issued for illegal loads, but the operators will be advised of the penalties for transporting overweight loads on public highways.

The project is conducted in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, the Seattle and Tacoma port authorities, the State Transportation Plan's Freight Mobility Subcommittee, and other interested parties.  The WSP will periodically meet with the affected parties to review data collection and discuss possible recommendations.  The Patrol will also contact the weight enforcement agencies in California and Oregon in an attempt to establish regional cooperation.  The WSP will submit a final report to the Legislative Transportation Committee by December 15, 1991.

Study provisions expire December 31, 1991.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A technical change is made.  The pilot project is eight months in length, not six.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect April 1, 1991.

Testimony For:  Insufficient data currently exists on containerized cargo movements by truck on Washington highways.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Tim Erickson, Washington State Patrol.