And that is why you have 15 axles, double trailers, and steers rated for 20k. (I don't know how you back those suckers up, but I've seen it done first hand, and right next to me, I might add!!)

What I hate to say but feel its important to mention is that the reason our bridges are of real concern is that there isn't the kind of money that could be put into them. We could build our roads (and our trucks) to handle waaaay much weight that we're putting on them, but the fact is, it would cost an insurmountable amount of money to make that happen. This is what we call "engineering," it is the compromise between structural integrity and the bottom line. How narrow of a margin do you want to create?

And when we construct our roads to be cheaper, we end up paying for it in the end by having to maintain them much more often than we have to.

 

One of the old drivers I've met talks about how at one time the ruts in the road on I80 out by Winnemucca NV were so bad you could take your hands off the steering wheel and stay on the road.

There is also the problem of how transit funds from fuel taxes, tolls, etc are spent.

Politicos can score more "points" with their developer patrons by constructing new roads rather than maintaining the existing ones. They also get the ego polish of naming new roads after themselves, friends, family etc etc etc.

The benefits accrue to a select few while the costs are borne by the general road using public in slightly rougher roads.

As much as the industry loves to bash the Ton-Mile tax regime of Oregon it gets closer to matching the tax with the weight that most other schemes. However their tax regime by been subverted by in state interests (forest products) so that intra state carriers effectively pay a much lower rate than long haulers. It just barely passes Constitutional muster.

 

Whether one state raises their maximum weights or not probably won't affect intrastate shipments. Each state has their own rules and regulations. While uniform, up to a point, there are some states which will allow more weight than others. The problem comes in when you cross the state lines. The adjoining state may have different weight requirements and could make you over weight in that state. I see this as more of an intrastate problem rather than interstate. I don't think this would affect most interstate carriers.