VARIANCE Act

The VARIANCE Act would add a new provision to federal highway weight rules (title 23, U.S. Code) allowing heavier axle weights for certain shipments. Specifically, it creates an axle weight variance for transporting dry bulk goods. Under the bill, a commercial motor vehicle carrying dry bulk goods could not exceed 110 percent of the maximum weight allowed on any axle or axle group, as currently defined in the law, and this allowance would be applied in addition to the existing enforcement tolerance. Importantly, the act preserves the overall maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW); only the per-axle or per-axle-group weights are allowed to go up to 110% of their current limits. The bill also defines what counts as “dry bulk goods” for this purpose. The proposal is introduced in the Senate (S. 2108) by Senators Ricketts and Schiff on June 18, 2025, and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. No House action or funding provisions are included in the text provided.