In an attempt to attract more international freight to Florida’s ports, Gov. Rick Scott (R) said that the state now allows trucks hauling intermodal containers to weigh up to 100,000 pounds, up from a previous limit of 95,000 pounds.
Scott said the adjustment, along with other regulatory changes, is intended to ease the permitting process for overweight and oversize truck loads.
The rule changes are part of Scott’s drive to “make Florida the trade gateway for America” and to prepare the state and its ports for the potential increase in freight when the Panama Canal’s expansion project is completed in 2015.”
Mary Lou Rajchel, president of the Florida Trucking Association, said her group supports the moves.
“As an essential industry that is the sole means of supply for more than 80% of the state’s communities, Florida’s trucking industry appreciates the critical role trucking plays in this equation,” Rajchel said in the governor’s statement.
“To that end, we look forward to the increased opportunities for collaboration and enterprise that will result from this increase in weight limits for containerized freight,” she said.
