Northern Manitoba trucks to carry bigger loads

WINNIPEG — Larger truck loads will soon be permitted on the northern Manitoba hauling route along Hwy. 6 between Winnipeg and Thompson.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the province okayed a pilot project to allow trucks to hitch a smaller 6.5-metre trailer behind a conventional 53-ft unit in an attempt to reduce costs and total trips on the 750-km stretch.

While trucks would be able to carry 20 percent larger loads on the northern route, the maximum gross vehicle weight allowance will not change.

The program kicks off by allowing only four such units with special permits on the road each day — two in each direction, reports the newspaper.

This past summer, neighboring Saskatchewan added 1,200 km of “primary weight” roadway to its highway network in an attempt to move heavier loads onto major highways.

The move is expected to generate about $18 million a year for the provincial economy since shippers and carriers can operate more efficiently by using the same units to haul larger loads.

— with files from the Winnipeg Free Press