VARIANCE Act

This bill lets trucks that carry dry bulk goods (like grain, sand, or cement powder) put up to 110% of the usual weight on any single axle or axle group when traveling on interstate highways. It does not raise the overall maximum weight the truck can weigh; it only allows a little more weight on specific axles. Dry bulk goods are defined as a single, unpackaged, non-liquid material hauled in a trailer made for that purpose .

Key points

• Who is affected: Truck drivers, trucking companies, and shippers moving dry bulk goods; highway weight enforcement teams.
• What changes: Axle weight limit can be up to 110% of the normal cap for these loads, but the total truck weight limit stays the same.
• What counts as “dry bulk”: Homogeneous, unmarked, unpackaged, nonliquid cargo in a purpose-built trailer.