Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation today extending the transportation of overweight loads of corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage and stover for this harvest season. The new proclamation will expire Dec. 1. The previous waiver issued earlier this fall was set to expire Nov. 17.

With big corn and soybean crops and a later-than-normal harvest, the governor says she took this action to help Iowa farmers get the crop safely from fields and into bins before the snow flies. The Iowa Corn Growers Association submitted a request for the extension last week due to delayed harvest progress across the state.

Helping farmers harvest, haul 2017 crop
This proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage and stover to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit, but only for the duration of this proclamation.

The exemption applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the Interstate system). The loads can’t exceed a maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table by more than 12.5%, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges. The primary highway maximum gross weight table is available on the Iowa Department of Transportation website.

DOT oversees compliance with the waiver
The Iowa DOT is directed to monitor the operation of this proclamation to ensure the public’s safety and facilitate movement of the trucks involved in Iowa’s harvest. When Reynolds signed the original 60-day waiver on Sept. 18, she said: “I’m pleased to sign this proclamation allowing Iowa farmers to move their crops in an effective and efficient manner. Farmers are a critical part of our state’s economy, and this waiver helps ensure they can transport their crops from fields and farms ahead of deteriorating weather conditions, which come later in the fall.”