Minnesota Truck-Weight Education for Road Authority and Enforcement Staff

Truck-weight instructor placing a scale under a semi truck tire

Date and Location

Not currently scheduled.

About the Workshop

This course was designed to provide specialized training to enforcement and road authority regulatory staff, helping them become more knowledgeable about truck-weight laws and regulatory options. The course features many elements of the traditional truck-weight course as well as more specific information needed for successful prosecution of violators. It includes explanations of specific statutes governing road weight and a weighing demonstration with portable scale weighing guidance. When possible, loaded trucks of various combinations may be used in the weighing demonstration.

Occasionally, legislation has authorized road authorities to increase load limits on roads within their highway network. This training will explain any new legislation, give statute guidance, and offer resources for dealing with options under any new legislation.

This training is conducted in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commercial Vehicle Section to allow new law enforcement officers to meet the training requirements of state law. It also serves as a refresher course for those who want updated information since previous training sessions.

Topics Covered

  • An update of road weight limits and differences between the state and local systems
  • Laws governing gross weights, axle weights, tire weights, road-restriction weights, and seasonally increased (winter and harvest) weights
  • Road damage issues: how overweight trucks cost us all
  • Overweight truck issues go beyond just gross and axle weights
  • What's the difference between axle weights? What are the legal tire weights?
  • Classroom exercises to help identify issues and concerns with take home materials
  • New legislation explaining weight increases for raw or unprocessed agricultural products, construction materials, and dairy
  • A demonstration of the new truck weight calculator to assist in vehicle weight computation

Who Should Attend

Any enforcement or regulatory staff who may be asked to enforce or implement Minnesota truck-weight limits.

Please note: This is not a “permitting” class for those who haul over-dimensional or overweight equipment that requires an oversize permit from either the state or county agencies. The class does cover the permit requirement for harvest and timber commodities and the 10 percent winter-load-increase (WLI) permit for trucks operating on Interstate highways.

Credit

The training is eligible for POST credits.

Instructors/Informational Contacts

Sponsors

This program is funded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and administered by the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota.