Georgia lawmakers strike deal on truck weight limits

Interstate 285

The Georgia legislature on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, gave final passage to House Bill 189, which would allow a weight limit of 88,000 pounds (40,000 kilograms) for trucks hauling agricultural and forest commodities. (Emil Moffatt/WABE News)

Georgia lawmakers reached a last-minute deal early Thursday to increase the weight limit for some trucks traveling state highways.

The legislature gave final passage to House Bill 189, which would allow a weight limit of 88,000 pounds (40,000 kilograms) for trucks hauling agricultural and forest commodities. The current limit on state roads is 80,000 pounds, but trucks are allowed a variance of up to 84,000 pounds.

If Gov. Brian Kemp signs the measure into law, the greater weight would be allowed only on local roads and state highways, not interstates. The heavier trucks could only travel within a 150-mile radius of their point of origin and wouldn’t be allowed in 13 core metro Atlanta counties.