To help haul this year's harvest, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation on Sept. 30 granting a temporary 60-day weight limit exemption for trucks operating on Iowa roads. The exemption became effective at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 and will expire at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 29.

The 2019 Harvest Weight Proclamation specifically increases the weight allowable for shipment of corn, soybeans, hay, straw and stover by 12.5% per axle (up to a maximum of 90,000 pounds) without the need for an oversize or overweight permit. 

The 2019 proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa, excluding the federal interstate system. Trucks cannot exceed the truck's regular maximum by more than 12.5% per axle and must obey the posted limits on all roads and bridges. 

Follow vehicle axle weight restrictions

The Iowa Corn Growers Association made the request to Reynolds in August and worked with the governor's office to ensure the proclamation moved forward to benefit Iowa's farmers. The proclamation directs the Iowa Department of Transportation to monitor the operation of the proclamation, to ensure the public's safety by facilitating the movement of the trucks involved. Farmers who are transporting grain are also required to follow their vehicle safety standards on axle weights. 

“On behalf of Iowa’s farmers, we extend a big thanks to Gov. Reynolds for approval of this proclamation, as it provides tremendous help to us as we work to efficiently transport this year’s crop,” says ICGA President Jim Greif, a farmer from Monticello. “The governor made the decision to grant the petition as requested by Iowa Corn; it is not a right by law.”