The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is investigating disparities in the definitions of heavy trucks to help the trucking industry understand pertinent regulations and assist with future legislation to clarify definitions and language. Through a preliminary literature review, the team has identified four areas where confusion may arise including: (1) Permitting/Registration; (2) Size (width, height, and length); (3) Weight; and (4) Safety (e.g., speed limit, safety standards, driver’s license standards, hazardous materials, and safety inspection program).

The proposed project aims to identify ambiguity and discrepancies existent in the federal and state-level rules regarding heavy trucks. The team will review terms from three sources, namely the (MCA, the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM), and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The anticipated products include (1) matrices that summarize where ambiguous language occurs and where heavy-truck definitions diverge in the emphasis areas aforementioned and (2) an educational pamphlet to help legislators, MDT personnel, and truckers understand heavy-truck regulations. The results will also help future governing bodies to clarify terms and definitions.