HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5222

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to log trucks and pole trailers.

Brief Description:  Regulating length of log trucks.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Owen, Haugen, Prince, Morton and Winsley).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  3/20/95, 3/27/95 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 23 members:  Representatives K. Schmidt, Chairman; Benton, Vice Chairman; Mitchell, Vice Chairman; R. Fisher, Ranking Minority Member; Hatfield, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Blanton; Buck; Cairnes; Chopp; Elliot; Hankins; Horn; Johnson; Koster; McMahan; Ogden; Quall; Robertson; Romero; D. Schmidt; Scott and Tokuda.

Staff:  Mary McLaughlin (786-7309).

Background:  The legal length of a semitrailer in a tractor/semitrailer combination is 53 feet.  For the logging industry, this restricts the length of logs that can be hauled on the public highways to 53 feet.

Some logging companies are seeking to increase the length of the logs that can be hauled.  An extra two to four feet gives the mill more options as to where to cut the log to achieve optimum quality.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has recently granted the logging industry a waiver to the 53-foot restriction.  The waiver allows log trucks to transport 57 foot 2 inch logs under a special overlength permit for a fee of $10 per month.   The overall length of the vehicle is 65 to 75 feet, depending on the length of the tractor.  The waiver terminates June 30, 1995.  The purpose of the waiver is to give the industry time to seek a legislative solution.

Summary of Bill:  The legal overall length of a log truck and stinger-steered pole trailer is 75 feet.  Stinger-steered means the coupling device is located behind the tires of the last axle on a log truck.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on (date).

Testimony For:  Making the length of a log truck the same as a truck/tractor combination will allow for the optimum cutting of logs at the mill.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Pat Harper, Pacific Lumber and Shipping.