Speaker Hall Weighs In On Heavy Trucks

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/27/2025) In the past, many lawmakers have tried to crack this nut but to no avail. The state's trucking industry has beat back every effort to scale back truck weights or tax them more for the road damage they do.

Now comes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer trying to succeed where others have failed.

Can she count on House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) to join in this crusade after he did endorse this week her desire to increase taxes on EV owners?

"That's what Gov. Whitmer wants," the Speaker acknowledged, but when asked this critical question, he did not say yes.

Michigan truck weight regulation is being discussed in Lansing.

Asked if "truckers could end up paying more?" he waded into the debate with this.

"I think we need to look at what are the regulations . . . a lot of people say these truck limits are heavier. There is discussion about a certain number of axles. So we have got to look at the impact of heavier trucks on the roads and do we need any reforms there? . . . We have heavier trucks in Michigan. Does that make sense?"

He wants to know "if MDOT is telling us . . . the truth and do we need to change the regulations on big trucks?"

The Michigan Citizen Research Council weighed in on the trucking/road damage issue, noting that the industry does "drive our economy." Researcher Eric Dennis concedes trucks are not paying their fair share in Michigan or anywhere else for that matter, but given the trucks' impact on commerce "to move stuff around," he thinks "it may be appropriate" that the industry is not paying its fair share.

Hall said, "Do we need any reform there to make the roads better? And that's where it's part of our discussion."

He also warns that any reforms must come at the same time that the road fix package is adopted, otherwise the "reforms will never happen."