COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine joined with 14 other Republican governors to ask the federal government to join Operation Open Roads, a multi-state effort to suspend burdensome regulations on the trucking industry to ensure small businesses and American consumers have access to the goods they need this holiday season.
In a joint statement, the governors called on the Biden Administration to make immediate changes to federal law to relieve supply chain backlogs that are hurting consumers and to suspend outdated federal regulations that unnecessarily restrict certain well-trained commercial drivers from crossing state lines.
“Supply chain issues have led to shortages of raw materials and goods from factories to stores, and simple actions, like modifying weight limits, adjusting hours of service for truck drivers, and removing some non-safety-related restrictions on commercial drivers licenses will help ease a record shortage of truck drivers and allow more goods to flow to market,” said Governor DeWine. “I’m calling on President Biden to review and revise any federal regulations that are hindering our efforts.”
While waiting for the federal government to act, Governor DeWine is taking immediate action within his authority to remove supply chain hurdles and ease the movement of freight by directing the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to accelerate the process that shipping companies must use to move oversize loads across the state. Currently, trucks hauling loads greater than 80,000 pounds require a special ODOT hauling permit before the shipment is permitted to travel. To get goods on the road quicker, Governor DeWine has directed ODOT to reinstitute a pandemic-era program that allowed haulers to move heavier loads, up to 90,000 pounds, without getting pre-approval as long as they agree to report where they traveled after the trip is complete.
This measure will remain in place until further notice.