(Adding Louisiana suspension of some rules from earlier in the week).
Texas has suspended several trucking rules and regulations in the wake of Hurricane Laura.In an order handed down Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the moves will “help expedite the delivery of food, water, equipment, medical supplies and other resources to help communities impacted by the storm.”
The rules that have been suspended include the oversize and overweight regulations. Under the current code, the state’s rules limit single-axle weights to 20,000 pounds, tandem axle weight to 34,000 pounds and an overall weight limit calculated by a formula.
The suspensions of rules and regulations also involve various requirements regarding registration and permitted usage of vehicles registered out of state and time requirements for trucks operating on expired registrations.
In a brief prepared announcement regarding the waiving of the rules, Abbott said the waivers were requested by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.
Earlier in the week, an order from Louisiana’s Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Dr. Shawn Wilson, wavied the 88,000 pound limit on Louisiana’s trucks involved in relief from Laura.
But Wilson’s decree was limited just to weight. It specifically said there are no other rules that are being waived in relation to coping with Hurricane Laura, and it specifically said the waiver was related to “support of rescue, recovery and repair efforts associated with the emergency.”
More articles by John Kingston
As Hurricane Laura lunges shoreward, oil markets remain nonplussed
Diesel price hike relatively muted as oil markets away arrival of Laura
US losing oil refining capacity; renewable diesel to help close gap
