STATEHOUSE (March 3, 2010) - Indiana highways could be safer if a measure sponsored by State Sen. Brent Steele (R-Bedford) concerning transport of large metal coils becomes law.

Lawmakers unanimously agreed Tuesday on final language of House Bill 1084 - requiring truck drivers to be certified on proper securement of large metal coils to their rigs before driving - and sent it to Gov. Mitch Daniels for further consideration.

Steele said HB 1084 would enhance the training process truck drivers receive in order to haul metal coils on the state’s highways.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates truck drivers to follow load transportation guidelines, Steele said. These regulations mandate trucking companies and their employees to be trained on the proper ways to tie down and transport various forms of oversized cargo.

“HB 1084 would add one more step to this process,” Steele said. “After their training, semi-drivers would be tested on their knowledge of the proper load securement techniques to receive official certification before hauling metal coils in Indiana.”  

Steele said the bill would make hauling massive metal coils without proper certification a Class A misdemeanor - a crime punishable by a fine of $5,000 and up to one year in prison.

Steele said motivation behind the bill came following the tragic deaths of four Orange County residents who were killed after a metal coil weighing more than 43,000 pounds broke loose from a tractor trailer’s flatbed and slammed into the car. Orange County police reports stated improper load securement was the cause of the accident.

One of the victims, 21-year-old Shannon Steele, was not related to the senator.

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Steele serves Senate District 44, which includes Lawrence and Jackson counties as well as portions on Monroe, Orange and Washington counties.