Agricultural and Forestry Hauling Efficiency Act

This bill lets Virginia allow certain farm and timber trucks to be heavier on interstate highways, if they get a special state permit. The new cap would be 90,000 pounds for vehicles hauling unprocessed farm goods (like crops for food, feed, or fiber) or raw forest products (like logs, pulpwood, rough-sawn green lumber, biomass, or wood chips). Today, interstate highways generally have an 80,000-pound limit, with some exceptions; Virginia already allows some 90,000-pound agricultural trucks on non-interstate state roads.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Farmers, loggers, and trucking companies moving unprocessed farm or forest products in Virginia.
• What changes: Virginia could issue special permits for these vehicles to use interstates at up to 90,000 pounds (higher than the usual 80,000-pound federal limit) .
• Where: Interstate highways within Virginia.
• When: Would take effect after the bill becomes law and Virginia issues permits.