White House Orders Temporary Lift in Cargo Weight Capacity for Trucks

President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order to temporarily lift weight limits so trucks can carry more cargo, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Oct. 20.

A national shortage of truck drivers is worsening shipping bottlenecks that have created waiting lines for freighters at backlogged U.S. ports in recent weeks. The most recent study from the American Trucking Association (ATA) says the nation is short more than 60,000 drivers, and CNN reports ATA president and CEO Chris Spear says that number has now increased to 80,000.

The association estimates 71.4 percent of all U.S. freight tonnage is moved on the nation’s highways.

Biden’s executive order will also direct the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency to identify training partnerships to increase education for technical applications, job training and workforce development, Psaki said.