DETROIT, (Mar. 23, 2005) — Michigan’s authorities say they’ve nabbed over 1,000 overweight trash haulers from Canada since the start of last year.

According to the Detroit News, the Wayne County sheriff’s division has written about 1,400 citations for overweight trucks since January 2004 — netting about $900,000 in fines. Authorities say most of the citations were handed out to truckers hauling Toronto’s trash to Michigan landfills. About 150 commercial trucks carrying garbage cross the border into Michigan every day.

To enforce the weight limits, Sheriff Warren Evans assigned a division of six deputies. He said the goal was to prevent serious traffic accidents and road damage.

In most states, the maximum gross vehicle weight is 80,000 pounds, but Michigan’s is 164,000 pounds, primarily because of a large volume of international commerce. Area politicians have debated reducing weight limits, but arguments that this would hurt business and put even more rigs on the road have discouraged changes.

However, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a bill in November allowing the length of trucks to increase to 65 feet from 59. The law, which takes effect in 2006, also reduces fines on truckers for violating weight restrictions.

— from the Detroit News, via Truckinginfo.com