the expense involved with moving and maintaining the boats. In February 2011, West sent out


an informational mailing detailing his company’s costs and proposing several possible solutions, including allowing houseboat haulers to buy envelope permits like other regular haulers of oversize loads can. He got other houseboat haulers and business owners in Page to sign a petition stating the importance of the houseboat industry to Page and the unfairness of the costs they are paying for Class C permits. Most importantly, West said, he joined


the Arizona Trucking Association. Trucking association staff members incorporated the houseboat envelope permit provisions into a bill that ATA was running to update and simplify other permit provisions, and helped walk West through what it takes to pass a bill in the legislature. They introduced him to the people he needed to meet and worked with him on public speaking skills so he could testify at committee meetings. The legislator recruited by ATA to


sponsor the bill was Rep. Rick Gray, a republican from Sun City who was vice chairman of the House Transportation Committee in the last legislative session. “I don’t think we could have done it


without them,” West said of the trucking association staff. While Gray’s district is nowhere near


Lake Powell, he said he agreed to sponsor the bill because he believed it would fix an unfair situation. “Seeing the situation and having been


a businessman myself, it’s an equity issue — what was fair and what was right,” Gray said.


House Bill 2673 also modified the


section of law covering training and certification for pilot car operators to reflect changes to the authorized curriculum. Most importantly, it also contained a provision critical to virtually all over-dimensional load carriers that operate in Arizona. It was not uncommon for permitting agencies to require a carrier to apply for and purchase a new permit if the load specified on the original permit application turned out to be of a lower weight or lesser dimension, and presumably having a lesser impact on the roadway. HB 2673 made it unlawful to require carriers to purchase a new permit in the case of smaller and/or lighter loads as long as all


Arizona Trucking Association 2012 Yearbook


ATA Specialized Carriers & Rigging Conference members recognize Rep. Rick Gray (R-Sun City) for his sponsorship of ATA’s overdimensional permit legislation during the 2012 session. Left to right: Dan Mardian (Marco Crane & Rigging); Kyle Wilkes (Empire Transport); Rep. Gray; and Harry Baker (Southwest Industrial Rigging).


other requirements of the permit are met. HB 2673 passed the legislature in March and was signed by the governor in April. The bill allows the Arizona Department


of Transportation to issue envelope permits for haulers within a 10-mile radius of Lake Powell whose loads are no more than 120 feet long, 25 feet tall, 16.5 feet wide and no more than 150,000 pounds gross weight. These mirror the exact maximum weights and dimensions currently in ADOT rules. But even though the bill passed before the Memorial Day start of the houseboating season on Lake Powell, West and other haulers still had to follow the old rules — and pay structure — during the 2012 season. That’s because the Arizona Department of Transportation had not yet issued the final rules and regulations that will govern the new envelope permits. West said he understands that the


bill means less revenue from the houseboat haulers’ Class C permits, but is hopeful the department will finalize the rules in time for the 2013 season. Gray said while he was preoccupied with campaigning over the summer, “I will be watching to make sure what’s been enacted is fully acted upon.” In an e-mailed response to questions,


an ADOT spokesperson said that the agency has been coordinating with the ATA to set


a date for a stakeholder meeting in late September or October, after which the proposed rule would have to go through the rulemaking process specified by law. “At this time we cannot provide an


approximate date when the envelope permits will become available,” the statement said. When they are, the difference for West’s


and other houseboat hauling businesses will be enormous: Four one-page envelope permits — one for each truck — that cover a year’s worth of trips, vs. upwards of 700 six-page, hand-completed permits that required extensive detail and vast hours of staff time. Even though the Department of Transportation hasn’t set the fee amount for the new envelope permit, West believes it won’t be nearly as much as companies are paying now. “Now it will be affordable to bring the


work into the city instead of doing it at the lake,” West said. “We’ll be able to do it for less cost. It’ll be a break for consumers.” West said he’s thankful for the help he


got from the Arizona Trucking Association. “Even though it didn’t affect all


truckers, it just affected a few within a small community, they got behind us,” he said. “… If it was left to the small businesses in Page, none of us could have afforded to do it ourselves.”


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