21.3005.02000
Sixty-seventh
Legislative Assembly HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3001
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Legislative Management
(Agriculture and Transportation Committee)
1 A concurrent resolution urging Congress to temporarily amend cargo carrying truck length and
2 weight restrictions on state highways and interstates that are a part of the National Network to
3 allow North Dakota and surrounding states to conduct a road train pilot program and to
4 permanently amend the restrictions to allow road trains on the National Network highways and
5 interstates if the pilot program is successful.
6 WHEREAS, the National Network is an approved network of state highways and interstates
7 in the United States for use by large trucks and commercial truck drivers; and
8 WHEREAS, the National Network supports interstate commerce by regulating the size of
9 trucks operating on the National Network through a federal cargo carrying length limitation of
10 approximately 100 feet depending on truck configuration and a federal cargo carrying weight
11 limitation of approximately 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight; and
12 WHEREAS, grandfathered provisions in operation in the state at the time federal
13 regulations were enacted provide trucks in North Dakota may be up to 110 feet in overall length
14 and 105,500 pounds gross vehicle weight on permissible routes; and
15 WHEREAS, trucks operating on the 129,000 pound Limited Transportation Network may be
16 up to 129,000 pounds gross vehicle weight on certain routes; and
17 WHEREAS, the United States is experiencing a shortage of approximately 900,000 truck
18 drivers with commercial driver's licenses; and
19 WHEREAS, railroad infrastructure has diminished by approximately 40 percent between
20 1920 and 2017, from 5,400 miles of track to 3,330 miles of track; and
21 WHEREAS, it is becoming more difficult to move increasing demands for freight and
22 commodities in a timely and efficient manner due, in part, to the shortage of commercial truck
23 drivers and the reduced railroad infrastructure; and
24 WHEREAS, a road train is a trucking vehicle consisting of two or more connected trailers or
25 semitrailers linked and hauled by a single operating prime mover or tractor unit which may
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 Sixty-seventh
Legislative Assembly
1 exceed overall length and total gross vehicle weight limitations, but not exceed current statutory
2 axle load limitations; and
3 WHEREAS, Australia uses road trains to move freight in an efficient manner to meet
4 demand; and
5 WHEREAS, allowing road trains to exceed federal truck length and total gross vehicle
6 weight limitations may be a viable solution to the efficiency and capacity issues resulting from
7 the shortage of commercial truck drivers and reduced railroad infrastructure by allowing
8 commercial truck drivers to haul more freight in longer and heavier cargo loads;
9 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
10 NORTH DAKOTA, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN:
11 That the Sixty-seventh Legislative Assembly urges the Congress of the United States to
12 temporarily amend cargo carrying truck length and weight restrictions on state highways and
13 interstates that are a part of the National Network to allow North Dakota and surrounding states
14 to conduct a road train pilot program and to permanently amend the restrictions to allow road
15 trains on the National Network highways and interstates if the pilot program is successful; and
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State forward copies of this resolution
17 to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of
18 the United States Senate, and each member of the North Dakota Congressional Delegation.
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