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Mini trucks clear house hurdle
Published 12:00pm Friday, May 1, 2009A provision to allow mini-trucks on county and township roads has been included in a House transportation bill.
That’s good news for people who drive the compact pick-ups on local farming and hunting land. Manufactured primarily by Japanese companies, mini-trucks feature four-wheel drive, fuel efficiency and safety features like seatbelts, but have largely been prohibited from Minnesota roads.
The inclusion of the mini-truck provision in the House’s omnibus transportation policy bill this week is a step toward greater freedom for drivers, said Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Dist.10A). Nornes, Rep. Torrey Westrom (R-Dist.11A) of Elbow Lake and Rep. Brita Sailer (DFL-Dist.2B) of Park Rapids pooled their efforts to include the mini-truck amendment in the bill.
The legislation would allow mini-trucks on county and township roads, but not on state highways or interstates. That means drivers headed into Fergus Falls would need to avoid State Highway 210, a major city artery.
Counties would be in charge of issuing permits, with drivers needing to obtain individual permits from each county they travel in. The permitting of mini-trucks is something Nornes hopes to change in the future.
“Our intention was to make it possible to license it like any other vehicle through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV),” he said.
That’s how it was done several years ago, according to Ken Schaman of Minnesota Warehouse Furniture in Erhard. After Schaman started importing mini-trucks in 2004, he was able to secure licenses and tabs through the DMV. That lasted only a short time. According to Schaman, mini-trucks weighing under 1,500 pounds and using low-pressure tires are permissible on roads, though he’s been stopped by law enforcement who tell him that’s not the case.
The trucks are especially useful for farmers traveling between properties, Schaman said, because they carry a decent payload for their size.
The mini-truck amendment was included in the transportation policy bill during House proceedings Tuesday. Nornes said he did not expect opposition from a conference committee or the governor.
