Jackson Jambalaya

Might as well use them until the bridge collapses and nobody can use the road.

This shouldn't be a problem - the state is going to spend a bo-zillion dollars to improve all of the roads, right?

Just what our roads need! Bigger log trucks and bigger dump trucks.

Brilliant!

Hell most of the bridges in her district of Neshoba County can barely stand the current weight loads. Her county supervisors ought to love this crap. And MDOT can't fix the state roads these trucks rip apart. And while we're on crap has anybody seen the gut job that Preacher-Representative Andy Gibson did to SB2934? He wants to reduce dog fighting penalties to a misdemeanor. It's time to send these clowns home.

Allows farmers to load their trailers with a heavier load when carrying beans, corn, cotton, whatever to market.

Sounds ok to me.

1:27 - thank you for your comment mr./ms. highly paid lobbyist

Got to love Americans For Prosperity they pay off anyone. Time to send these clown home too.

3:00, how does AFP figure into the weight limit issue?

The board of supervisors in each county still have a lot of say when it comes to this when it comes to county roads. It would be interesting to hear how the supervisors association feels about this.

1:27...that was the intent 20 years ago when the original variance was passed. It has been bastardized so many times that now any carrier carrying anything anywhere can avoid the weight rules. This expands that concept. I don’t recall farmers carrying much sand and gravel but they all have their lobbyists.

Follow the money as always.

Just pile the gravel trucks higher. Use the gravel that spills out to fill the potholes. Call it a wash. Nevermind the windshields. Or the collapsed bridges.

4:43 - don't see where this bill expands the concept at all.

Quick read, but the only change I see with this bill is the 10% variance allowed. Can't find that money trail you (and other tinfoil believers that always want to blame any change in law on those damned lobbyists) seem to see in this bill. Or maybe, you don't know how to understand legislation process.

Don't worry about the mule being blind, just load the wagon!!!!

Every damned rural-road bridge will soon be barricaded anyway. Might as well hurry it along.

4:01, I can tell you what MAS has to say: Absolutely nothing of consequence. MAS refuses to take a position on anything that actually matters. They are teats on a boar hog useless.

If this passes, it's clear the old guard, good ole boys still run this place. Boss Hog lives!

Why would any legislator vote for this? What voter would possible support this?

Don't know who MAS is but it sounds like they done beat some lobbyist at their game. Don't worry man, I say the same
Thing about Saban after he beats the hell out of state every year.

5:28....clearly a forester or sand mine owner. Or does not understand how trucks are weighed. Or the several exemptions they will get to bypass being weighed at all. Naw, he probably understands completely.

Libertarian says "why can't my truck weigh as much as I want?" And maybe I'll smoke a joint while I'm at it.

Then I'll move when roads get bad and leave them poor saps to deal with it. That's what libertarians do.

851, not either. Or a truck driver. But can read legislation. Proposed bills in the legislature include the existing law, and any new words are underlined. Deleted words are ****. Reading the proposed bill, all that is being changed from existing law is the percentage variation allowed with a harvest permit.

But since you are so damn smart, how about you telling us what changes this bill makes from existing law.

I'm sure that privatising the roads and bridges will decrease costs, increase profits and allow higher load limits!

Basically, whatever the county sets as the haul load limit is what is allowed all over that county. Used to be that bobtail trucks delivered to every café, grocery store, and merchant. Now its huge and heavy 18 wheelers that tear up every road in every town. Load them higher and no one will have an intact windshield for long. If it doesn't hit you the first time it flies, it will come back onto the road when a heavy rain comes and it will it you when it gets thrown from under a truck. I just wonder how many cars are damaged by the re-treds that are all over our highways in the summertime. How many wrecks are caused by trying to avoid running over one of these re-treds. 18-wheelers cost us all more than you realize. More freight should be handled by trains and barges.

Sorry for the length of this post. The current statute allows vehicles with a Harvest Permit or transporting recycle or road building material to have a tandem axle weight limit of 40,000 pounds with a 5% tolerance or an effective tandem axle limit of 42,000 pounds-but the gross vehicle weight limit is 84,000 pounds for a Harvest Permitted vehicle or 80,000 pounds for a vehicle transporting recycle/road building material. This bill allows a 10% tolerance or a tandem limit of 44,000 pounds with the same gross vehicle weight limit as stated above. Doesn't sound bad except that this is 10.000 pounds a tandem axle more than other commodity transporters are allowed. Increase axle weights cause more pavement and bridge damage than the gross weight spread over a longer span

The original intent of the Harvest Permit was to allow the farmer a tolerance because it was difficult to know the vehicle weight in the field. The current bill disallows these weights if the load originates at a facility with a scale. This bill allows Harvest Permitted vehicles 84,000 pounds even if loading at a facility with scales. So a log or grain truck is allowed to leave a grain elevator/holding yard with a scale to weigh 84,000 pounds.

By the say log trucks with F-tags and dump trucks are not required to have mud flaps and are exempt from safety equipment inspections. The current 42,000 pound tandem axle weight is higher than the manufacture axle weight rating for 90% of the trucks on the road.

So next time you meet a log-dump-grain truck you should relax because most of them are law-abiding good old boys trying to make a living and your legislators recognize that.

By the dark of the Moon on the sixth of June with a Kenworth pullin' logs...

8:54 that's not what libertarians say. They accept that government has a place and a role, and things like regulating weight limits to maintain the safety and condition of public roads are totally acceptable.

But you're right about the joint thing. Damn hippies.

The original variance was passed many moons ago to allow log haulers a variance as long as they went straight to the mill. There are no scales out in the woods. Then it was revised for farmers....., eventually evolving to include a variance in weight limits for "the operation of vehicles hauling sand, gravel, woodchips, wood shavings, sawdust, fill dirt, and agricultural products, and products for recycling or materials for the construction or repair of highways. The range of such operation shall not exceed a radius of one hundred (100) miles except where the products are being transported for processing within this state".

"Harvest permit" seems to be a very inclusive concept to this legislature.

I can read the title of the bill. It says "increase the weight limit tolerance". That's all I need to read given that I have to drive an extra 8 miles every day due to a closed county bridge.

25 comments? You usually don't see that on this blog unless it involves a hot woman.

"I can tell you what MAS has to say: Absolutely nothing of consequence. MAS refuses to take a position on anything that actually matters. They are teats on a boar hog useless."

However, if you attend your County Board meetings or glance at the agendas, you will periodically see a measure on the agenda authorizing 3 to 5 of them plus three other hogs at the trough to attend MAS meetings on the coast or at another casino venue.

So, they do play a role. They help us spend our county tax dollars on junkets.

I thought the revenue from the casinos would support our infrastructure for next 100 years!

I guess Tater will have to buy some more Pixie Dust to sprinkle on all of our substandard roads. That will solve the problem. Heaven forbid they increase the gasoline tax to a level where we can have some decent roads. Oh no, that's a TAX INCREASE!! I burn 50 gallons a week and would not mind paying an extra 5 cents a gallon just to know I won't be blowing out a tire, or a ruining a rim or having an alignment done twice a year. Thanks you Republican morons. Do your friggin job.

Is Branning or whoever the real author of the bill is connected to the logging industry or farming?

This Bill is only a 5% tandem axle increase - from 42,000#'s to 44,000#'s, it does not allow an increase in Gross weight for Harvest Permitted vehicles. Ole 11:14 seems to live where they had Bad Bridges before they had Trucks, nothing tells a Supervisor they have to Build sufficient Bridges rather than increase Social Program participation in their Counties. Ag & Forest land don't require new Schools, more Law Enforcement Officers, larger Hospitals- these issues come from More People-a growing Population, a developing area in our State. The strange thing is a Lot of You don't realize you have to have the lumber produced from trees to build that new house & even to wipe your behind I believe. The same is true for those trucks hauling that dirt for your House Foundation, the Concrete for that New slab you want to build that new house on also. Come to think of it- Most of You even weigh 5% more than You did 5-10 Years ago don't You??????

Well said Mr Forestry lobbyist. Mr trucker lobbyist. Mr sand mine lobbyist. Mr gravel pit lobbyist. Mr Big Ag lobbyist.

99% of voters and taxpayers disagree. They just lack a lobbyist.

And then you call us all fat!

Harvest permit= available to anybody able to afford a lobbyist. Who harvests sand and gravel? Or road materials?

Mr. 2:34 - Are you independently wealthy or something? At least let a fellow make a living.


Sheesh!

Mr. Martin,
The amount allowed above the regular operating limit (36K) is already destroying county roads. Gross does not matter to the road if the weight is distributed to lessen the weight per axle. But you are suggesting upping your industry’s exemption to 22% above regular operating for tamdems and trying to sell it as only 5%. Your industry already enjoys an exemption that is costing the taxpayer and destroying roads and you seriously think we are stupid enought to fall for your 5% spiel.

If it were only 5%, Mr. Martin and others cut from the same slop trough cloth wouldn't be spending their time supporting it and harping about it.

Mr. Martin has taken a page straight out of the 'Union Organizers' Handbook' and his little '5% sermon' represents two things:

(1) Two logs on a log truck.

(2) A lie.

So has anybody called their house rep? Or does everybody just rant on here? They may vote on this today or tomorrow. Let your rep know how you feel