This bill amends existing laws regarding vehicles operating with permits for excessive size or weight in Iowa. It expands the validity of all-systems permits to include movement on all primary and secondary roads, as well as roads designated as truck routes by local authorities, while still excluding the interstate road system and roads deemed not valid by local authorities. The bill also stipulates that local authorities must provide written justification to the Department of Transportation (DOT) if they determine a road is not valid for permitted vehicles, and any disputes regarding these determinations will be resolved according to DOT rules. Additionally, if all routes to a loading or unloading location are designated as not valid, local authorities are required to work with the DOT to find an alternative route.

Furthermore, the bill increases the allowable weight variance for vehicles operating under an all-systems permit from 12 percent to 12.5 percent. It removes the requirement that containers for international shipment must only hold raw forest products to be considered indivisible loads under a single-trip permit. Lastly, the bill allows vehicles traveling under a single-trip permit to register with the DOT for the combined gross weight of the vehicle and load on a single-trip basis, with a fee of $4 per ton exceeding 40 tons, and strikes the prohibition on using a trip permit in lieu of registration.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 321E.3, 321E.8, 321.454, 321E.12