This is what can happen if load limit postings are not obeyed.

Any vehicle is at risk when crossing a bridge that has been weakened by overweight trucks.

Portable weight scales.

One sign that a truck might be overweight is "egged out" tires.

Length and number of axles determine gross weight.

Trucks pull slowly onto the portable scales so they can be weighed.

Bridge load limits are serious business. Reduced load limits are posted because:

Some bridges were not designed to carry modern day legal load limits. Many older bridges are still in good shape but were simply not designed for today's heavier loads;

An inspection shows that the bridge has deteriorated to a point where it can no longer carry the load limit for which it was designed.

Big trucks roaring up and down America's highways cause an estimated $1 billion in premature highway deterioration and as much as $500 million in bridge damage annually. The problem is severely aggravated by trucks that exceed legal weight limits.

When a bridge structure is weakened to the point of potential collapse, any vehicle -- overweight or not -- could collapse the bridge. That vehicle could be a school bus or a family car passing over the weakened structure.

To protect Butler County's roads and bridges, the Butler County Engineer's Office in conjunction with the Butler County Sheriff implemented a truck enforcement program on January 1, 1991. The program is designed to reduce the number of overweight trucks on our bridges, but has also evolved into a comprehensive truck safety enforcement program which benefits not only the motoring public, but the truck drivers themselves.

Saving lives by keeping our bridges safe from collapse is the primary goal of the Truck Weight Limit Enforcement Program. Prolonging the life expectancy of our bridges also saves taxpayers money by reducing the number of annual bridge replacements in an age when construction dollars are limited.

The BCEO/BCSO's Truck Weight Limit Enforcement Program utilizes a full-time deputy who patrols the County and checks suspect vehicles for load limit violations by utilizing portable truck scales. He looks for visible loads, vehicles dropping material onto the roadway, "egged-out" tires, or how the truck seems to be riding.

The deputy also assists the cities and works closely with the State Highway Patrol and PUCO (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) to enforce truck safety throughout Butler County. The only real solution to this problem however is voluntary compliance from the trucking industry. "To be effective, safety regulation enforcement in the trucking industry must be as pervasive as the industry itself," according to Judge William Dowd, St. Louis, Missouri Circuit Court Judge. "Any punishment for serious violations must outstrip any possible financial benefit that might accrue from the use of an unsafe truck." Many trucking companies simply consider fines part of the cost of doing business without taking seriously the dangers imposed on the general public and the truck drivers themselves.

Deputy Joe Ventre, who oversees the Truck Weight Limit Enforcement Program, has personally made himself available for courtesy weighs, educational programs, and to speak to trucking companies about the problem and provide updates on the laws. To arrange a presentation for your company, contact:

    Deputy Mike Day
    Cellular: 513.678.6322

Truck enforcement statistics

How to figure your legal gross

Bridge Load Limits - Weight limit postings on County and Township roads

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