(Des Moines) Today, Governor Kim Reynolds signed proclamations relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain, fertilizer, manure, and motor fuels.
The Harvest Proclamation is effective immediately and continues through November 27, 2022. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid, and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.
A separate proclamation allows vehicles transporting motor fuels including gasoline, diesel #1, diesel #2, ethanol, biodiesel, aviation gas, and jet fuel to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit. The proclamation also temporarily suspends regulatory provisions of Iowa law pertaining to hours of service for crews and drivers hauling motor fuels. Increased demand, along with above average wait times at petroleum product terminals, have created challenges to timely access of these fuels. That proclamation is effective immediately and expires on November 27, 2022.
The proclamations apply to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.
