New Mexico waives truckload limits for disaster relief

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on May 13 waived in-state truckload limits on relief shipments to Kansas during its state of emergency. Kansas already imposed a similar waiver on recovery loads.

New Mexico will expedite and assist in issuing special or trip permits that provide relief to stricken Kansas communities, including permits for oversize/overweight or manufactured homes.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius declared 34 counties a disaster after tornadoes, hail and flooding severely damaged many communities.

Sebelius issued an executive order suspending enforcement of restrictions on overweight and oversized vehicles, as well as limits on licensing/operating and authority/registration as required by the Kansas Corporation Commission. These suspensions apply only to vehicles assisting in disaster recovery.

Sebelius signed a similar order in 2005 to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.