Vehicle Laws - Exceptional Hauling Permits for Farm Products

SB 203 creates an exception allowing vehicles carrying fluid milk products to operate on Maryland's interstate highway system under specific conditions, directly affecting dairy farmers and milk transporters. The bill permits milk trucks with 5-axle configurations (min. 28 ft tractor-semi spacing) to carry only milk from farm storage tanks to processing plants, with a weight limit of 88,000 lbs, or 6-axle trucks (min. 50 ft spacing) at 95,000 lbs. It requires special inspections twice yearly and maintains the rule that milk must be the vehicle's sole load. The bill modifies existing weight limits, axle spacing rules, and inspection requirements for farm product haulers under exceptional permits.