Dairy Transports Could Get Larger in 2017

Dairy transportation could get a boost in 2017 thanks to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation, or FAST Act.

Officer Nicholas Hopper with the Washington State Patrol said dairy tankers will now be considered a non-divisible load which could help dairy transporters.

“This is a good change for them. By the state allowing them to purchase a permit to allow them to carry more milk, they could potentially give them an easier way to know that they aren’t going to be overweight.”

Loading milk trucks to meet the current state requirements can be challenging according to Hopper.

But it is important to note, Hopper said that this is for a specific type of dairy transporter.

“A tank vehicle that is transporting raw milk from a farm and/or raw milk products to or from a milk plant, receiving station and/or transfer station. So once it goes from the farm to a processing facility and then from that point on it no longer meets the requirements.”

Hopper stressed to the public that if you see these larger milk tankers, or other agricultural transporters on the roadway, give them extra space and avoid the blind spots next to or immediately behind the vehicle.

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