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SHA, farmers and industry groups back unified exceptional hauling permit for farm products
Summary
State Highway Administration officials and agricultural groups asked the House Environment and Transportation Committee to approve House Bill 225 to combine existing farm hauling permits into a single, streamlined exceptional hauling permit.
State Highway Administration officials and representatives of Maryland agriculture and forest industries urged the House Environment and Transportation Committee on Feb. 6 to approve House Bill 225, legislation to combine multiple exceptional hauling permits for farm products into a single, unified permit.
"For the record I'm Will Pine, state highway administrator," SHA Administrator Will Pine told the committee, and said the bill would "streamline the hauling permit process, guidelines, and rules for the agricultural community as it relates to the application and issuance of exceptional hauling permits for field loaded farm products." Pine said the change should increase voluntary compliance and allow SHA to collect more accurate data about what is being transported on Maryland roadways.
The bill would fold four existing product‑specific permits — such as separate permits for field‑grown crops, milk and live poultry — into one comprehensive permit for a range of farm products, including liquid milk from storage tanks. Duane Pierce, SHA's chief of the motor carrier division, joined Pine for technical questions.
Agricultural stakeholders told legislators the change would reduce trips and emissions by allowing modest increases in gross vehicle weight for specific farm operations. William Miles of the Association of Forest Industries said the measure would “level the playing field” with neighboring states whose truck‑weight laws permit heavier haul loads. Grayson Middleton of the Delmarva Chicken Association and Tyler Huff of the Maryland Farm Bureau said haulers expect fewer loads, lower fuel use and operating cost savings; Middleton relayed individual hauler estimates of roughly 8–9% reductions in trucks, loads and fuel use for 1 location as an illustrative example.
Maryland Department of Agriculture representative Rachel Jones told the committee MDA supports SHA and noted the bill would help agricultural operations meet greenhouse‑gas reduction goals being discussed with the commission on climate change. SHA told the committee it expects increased permitting volume with better compliance but said the bill would create no significant fiscal or staffing impact for the agency.
Supporters said the unified approach will reduce applicant burden, improve enforcement, and supply SHA with more accurate routing and infrastructure impact data. Opponents were not recorded in the hearing record for this item.
The committee concluded the hearing on House Bill 225 after questions.
Ending: The bill’s backers asked the committee for a favorable report, citing improved customer service for farmers, expected increases in accurate hauling data, and the environmental benefit of fewer highway trips.
