Citrus has been added to the list of agricultural commodities for which truck size and weight restrictions have been lifted in the face of COVID-19. A Florida Department of Transportation enforcement bulletin issued April 13 stated that citrus and the other commodities for which restrictions were lifted had been identified by Florida’s agriculture commissioner and approved by Florida’s secretary of transportation. See a copy of the enforcement bulletin here.
Other commodities for which size and weight restrictions were lifted are forestry and forestry products, livestock, milk and milk products, poultry and poultry products, vegetables, rice and sugar.
In addition to agricultural commodities, the size and weight restrictions were lifted for any vehicles transporting emergency equipment, services and supplies. Normal size restrictions apply to a load’s height, length and width.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) issued a notice that included the announcement that citrus had been added to the list of agricultural commodities for which weight and size restrictions were lifted. The Florida Highway Patrol is a division of the FLHSMV.
The FLHSMV also noted that many other state transportation requirements have been altered because of COVID-19. For instance, the effective period of driver licenses and identification cards with certain March and April expiration dates were extended.
The citrus industry depends on trucks to haul many thousands of loads of citrus to Florida packinghouses and processing plants each year.
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