Longer, wider, heavier details

In the paper today with this story on relaxed safety limits for long trucks,
wide boats and some big farm trucks and machines, we didn't have room for some of the many changes in this far-reaching legislation.

Without debate, the Senate Finance Committee approved SB 1695 Thursday.

Next week, it goes to the Senate floor.

Here are some details:

A Senate bill moving through the General Assembly would relax safety restrictions on the lengths of trucks, the widths of boats and the weights of some trucks allowed on state highways.

Tractor-trailers

Now: 48 feet is the length limit on most roads. Tractor-trailers 53 feet long are allowed on about 5,600 miles — mostly interstates and other major U.S. highways — and on connecting roads for 3 miles in each direction. Local governments can ban the long trucks on major highways that pass through town.

Proposed: 53-footers would be allowed on more than 20,000 miles of primary highways — all interstates and highways labeled “U.S.” or “N.C.” — and for 3 miles on connecting roads. This covers about 90 percent of the state’s road network, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Local governments and DOT would lose their power to bar long trucks. DOT officials could recommend that the legislature ban 53-foot trucks from certain highways where studies “clearly show” they do not belong.

Recreational boats and trailers

Now: Permits are required for boaters who pull boat-trailer combinations more than 8.5 feet wide. Wide boats cannot be hauled on Sundays, holidays or at night.

Proposed: Boats wider than 8.5 feet would need special lights if they were hauled at night. Permits would be required only for widths of 10 feet or more. Boats more than 10 feet wide could not be hauled at night. Sunday and holiday bans would be eliminated.

Other provisions

* Any licensed driver 18 or older would be permitted to drive any non-commercial vehicle-trailer combinations weighing up to
13 tons.

* Farmers could drive combines up to 25 feet wide on some roads where the current limit is 18 feet.

* Log truckers would benefit from relaxed weight limits now enjoyed by haulers of wood chips.

* Weight limits for two-axle trucks hauling raw cotton would be increased to 25 tons from the current 22 tons.