Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds granted Iowa Corn’s request and signed a proclamation today granting a temporary 30-day weight limit exemption for trucks operating on Iowa roads to support the haul of this year’s crop during harvest. The proclamation extension will be effective immediately. The 2024 Harvest Weight Proclamation specifically increases the weight allowable for shipment of corn, soybeans, hay, straw and stover, by 12.5 percent per axle (up to a maximum of 90,000 pounds) without the need for an oversize/overweight permit.
The 2024 proclamation again applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa, excluding the federal interstate system. Trucks cannot exceed the truck’s regular maximum by more than 12.5 percent per axle and must obey the posted limits on all roads and bridges.
“On behalf of Iowa’s farmers, we extend our gratitude to Governor Reynolds for extending the harvest weight proclamation as it is a tremendous help for Iowa’s corn farmers,” said Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President Stu Swanson, a farmer from Galt, Iowa. “With the large corn crop coming out of the fields the extended weight allocation for a 500-acre Iowa corn farmer would require 13 fewer truckloads and a 1000-acre Iowa Corn farmer would require 26 fewer truckloads. This saving is felt at the farm level bottom line as both a time saver and a fuel saver.”
The proclamation directs the Iowa Department of Transportation to monitor the operation of the proclamation and assure the public’s safety by facilitating the movement of the trucks involved. Farmers who are transporting grain are also required to follow their vehicle safety standards on axle weights.
The exemption will be granted for 30 days beginning October 9, 2024, to November 8, 2024.
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