MSP outlines MDOT-funded weigh‑station upgrades, enforcement data; trucking group defends multi‑axle rigs

The Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Local Transportation on Thursday heard detailed testimony from Michigan State Police and trucking‑industry representatives on truck weight enforcement, funding for weigh‑station operations and the use of wireless weigh‑in‑motion technology.

Inspector Patrick Morris of the Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division told committee members that Michigan Department of Transportation funds flow to the state police under an MOU that provides “approximately $12,800,000 for size and weight enforcement in support of those activities.” Morris said those funds support way‑station operations, mobile patrols, overtime and facility maintenance and improvements.

Morris also described upgrades completed since 2020 and the division’s use of technology to expand screening. “We utilize 43 of those sites now statewide web based from our patrol unit to screen commercial vehicles,” he said, referring to MDOT traffic sensors reconfigured for weight and length screening. He said the state has 15 way stations, most of which have been renovated, and that the division is proposing a new northbound way station on I‑75 near Birch Run.

Why it matters: MDOT funding and the MOU with the State Police provide the primary revenue source the division cited for size‑and‑weight enforcement; the work affects trunk‑line operations and local roads and underpins enforcement activity across the state.

Enforcement and staffing numbers: Morris said the division screens “about 5,000,000 vehicles per year” through weigh stations and wireless sensors and that it conducts roughly 10,000–11,000 physical weighs annually. He told the committee that approximately 6,000 overweight citations are issued each year, a figure that “fluctuates plus or minus 500 given the year.” He said current officer strength in the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division is 97 and that the division aims to recruit toward an average strength of about 108 officers.

Morris described how mobile patrol units and portable scales work with fixed way stations and wireless weigh‑in‑motion sites: officers receive a vehicle diagram showing axle spacing and estimated loads, then determine whether to stop and weigh a vehicle. “We screen over 5,000,000 vehicles. We weigh approximately 10,000 vehicles. And then … we issue approximately 6,000 overweight citations per year,” he said.

Trucking industry perspective: Glenn Merkel, chairman of the Michigan Trucking Association and president of Davis Cartage Company, and Jill Socas, president and CEO of the Michigan Trucking Association, told the committee that multi‑axle rigs are important to Michigan commerce. Merkel summarized the state’s historical approach to vehicle configuration and axle limits and said Michigan’s laws are designed “to control the axle loads instead of the gross vehicle weight,” a point he said is tied to research on pavement damage. He added that multi‑axle rigs can haul more payload with fewer trips and asserted that “our 8 axle rigs … cause less road damage than a standard interstate configuration semi tractor trailer,” depending on axle distribution.

Fines and legal framework: Committee members asked about the fine schedule and legal citations used to assess overweight penalties. Morris and Merkel said Michigan law sets cents‑per‑pound penalties that increase with the severity of the violation; Morris pointed committee members to the division’s schedule and said the court system applies additional administrative fees. A staff member from the appropriations committee noted an interdepartmental grant line in the transportation budget from the State Trunk Line Fund (approximately $12.8129 million) that provides revenue to the Michigan State Police budget for these activities.

Seasonal and operational issues: Witnesses explained that spring “frost laws” restrict weights on many non‑designated roads and that MDOT designates Class A (year‑round) and Class B (seasonally restricted) routes based on pavement structure. Morris and Merkel said seasonal restrictions and harvest or timber operations can drive spikes in overweight citations in some regions.

Way‑station closures and staffing limits: Representatives asked why weigh stations are sometimes closed. Morris said closures have resulted from major road construction projects that made operations unsafe and from manpower limits: “We have 97 officers statewide currently to man 15 way stations, do all the mobile patrols and answer calls for service.” He said recent capital renovations and road projects have required temporary closures but that completed projects are allowing scales to reopen.

Follow‑up and next steps: Morris offered to return with training staff to demonstrate how the weight law is applied and how axle allowances are calculated. The committee accepted testimony and moved on; earlier in the meeting Representative Slaw moved to adopt the minutes of the committee’s Aug. 13 meeting, and the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.

The subcommittee did not take additional formal votes on weight‑law changes during the session. The meeting concluded with the chair adjourning the session.