MACON, Ga. — A bill in the Georgia General Assembly would let bigger, heavier trucks come rolling down the highway.
House Bill 189 narrowly passed through the House this week, 93-81 votes. If it passes the Senate, it would let some commercial vehicles carry up to almost 90,000 pounds, or about 45 tons without getting fined.
Currently, the maximum weight trucks can haul is 80,000 pounds total.
Truck drivers seem to be driving in different lanes when it comes to how they feel about the bill, though.
"That's a bad idea to me,” Audrey Kendrick said.
Kendrick has been driving around auto parts for eight years. She says her load isn't as heavy as other commercial vehicles, but the road is still just as dangerous for her.
“You have to deal with all of the crazy trucks that's coming up and down the road and stuff. It's narrow, and they're not paying attention and stuff,” she said.
Kendrick says not only are you looking out for other trucks, you have to look out for other cars. She says she's seen crashes on I-16 and I-75 because folks are cutting trucks off.
“Then you can slam into the back of them if you're not paying attention. Wind up killing someone,” Kendrick said.
However, George Shorts says the bill is for the best.
"We can only haul 80,000 pounds, but you know, you're gonna get over that,” he said.
Shorts towed timber for nine years and says his loads often exceeded the maximum limit because of what he was carrying. According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, you would typically need an oversize permit to do that.
Shorts says, it works out because the more you can tow for some companies, depending on what you’re hauling and where, they will pay drivers more.
"If they don't deliver the goods, where would we be?" Shorts said.
Almonza Reed mainly transports retail and sporting goods at the maximum weight of 80,000 pounds.
"I see it on both ends, I see the issue on both ends,” Reed said. "I do understand you want to consolidate and get more to the consumer in a less amount of time.”
However, Reed says it's generally a dangerous idea. He says he sees a wreck involving a commercial vehicle at least once a week.
“I’ve seen turnovers, especially on the I-95 corridor, that’s a very dangerous highway there. There’s just a lot of distractions, a lot of people, there’s a lot to pay attention to,” Reed said.
Reed says there are quite a few factors that could lead to a truck’s load tipping over to as small as something as a strong wind, to distracted, inconsiderate driving of other cars.
“It already takes at least two football fields for a truck to stop at full speed as it is, so just imagine adding an extra 10,000 pounds," he said.
The bill says that trucks weighing over 93,000 pounds will be fined 10 cents per pound for excess weight, and 15 cents per pound over 98,000 pounds.