OOIDA Call to Action - Idaho Members
March 10, 2003

Attention: Idaho truckers! Legislation in the state House needs your attention.

Under HB282, multiple trailer trucks with overweight permits could weigh up to 129,000 pounds. The current restriction is 105,500 pounds.
OOIDA opposes the bill. It will put truckers out of work, cause further damage to the state's roads, hurt Idaho's already struggling economy and potentially create hazards for all motorists who use the state's smaller two-lane highways.
"HB282 will only help a few large companies to get more freight hauled for less money, as they will need less trucks and drivers," Eagle, ID, resident and OOIDA board member Bill Rode told the House transportation committee during a hearing on the bill March 6. "HB282 will hurt the small business trucker here in Idaho."
The transportation committee voted 8-5 on March 7 to recommend passage of the bill by the full House. A final vote in that chamber is expected soon, and it appears only strong action by truckers and others will stop passage.
"It appears the skids are greased legislatively, and the only thing that's going to keep it from passing will be a tremendous outcry from the motoring public in Idaho, and there ought to be that outcry," Todd Spencer, executive vice president of OOIDA, said.
It is vital you contact your elected House official and your local newspaper and let them know what this bill means to you as an Idaho trucker.
For your representative's contact information, visit www2.state.id.us/legislat/house.html or call the Legislature's general information number at (202) 332-1000. You can also call OOIDA's membership department at 1-800-444-5791 and they'll look it up.
For a list of Idaho newspaper Web sites where you can write letters to the editor, visit www.50states.com/news/idaho.htm. Street addresses and phone numbers are available at http://www.n-net.com/id.htm.