Summer 2018

W V L O G G E R S C O U N C I L N E W S “Sixth-Axle” Bill Allows 94K GVW SB 616 PASSED the Legislature and was approved by the Governors signature. This will allow all raw and processed wood- hauling trucks in WV to increase their gross vehicular weight to 94,000 (from the current effective weight of 88,0000), if a sixth axle is added; with certain specific tractor/trailer configurations. WVFA, the Forest Resources Association, the American Loggers Association, WVU, and numerous sectors of the WV forest products industry worked with the state Division of Highways to craft a bill that was a compromise approach to this success. The audition of the sixth axle is not mandatory; i.e., it is voluntary and, as Danny Dructor, Executive Director of the American Loggers Council put it, “It’s a business decision” as to whether trucking outfits may wish to take advantage of this option. We don’t believe that any of the organizations involved believe that this is a solution to industry truck-weight issues. But, conversely, we think that it is safe to say that all believe that this is a step in the correct direction. A particularly germane section of the new law reads 24 West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry  | Summer 2018 www.wvfa.org