A Missouri Senate Committee is considering legislation that would allow cotton to be transported faster to market – literally. The bill would raise the speed limit for cotton trailers on Missouri roads from 40 to 65 miles per hour. It’s sponsored by Sen. Jason Bean, R-Holcomb.

“Used to, we would pick the cotton, dump it in a four-wheel trailer and then take that to the gin,” Bean said. “Today, the baler pickers pick the cotton, actually bale it very similar to a round hay bale and then we put it on semi-trailers, and we transport it. So, we can transport it a lot faster and a lot safer now than ever before.”

Bean said that the current speed limit is a burden.

“When we put these bales on a trailer, most of our drivers now are a little bit older, so it’s quite a task to secure these loads and these cotton bales are a lot different than hay bales,” he said. “They sit a lot flatter and they’re a lot heavier, so they will sit and be on the trailer and they don’t really move around.”

Language in the bill says that cotton trailers won’t be in violation of the law if certain conditions are met and if no portion of the load becomes dislodged.

Mark Fiegenbaum with the Missouri Farm Bureau supports the legislation.

“We believe that the current limits put on cotton trailers actually make them a little more dangerous for folks on the road who might be moving it, much higher speeds and also for the folks driving the trailers themselves,” Fiegenbaum said. “We believe that this legislation is a step in the right direction, making our roads safer.”

No one testified against the bill during a committee hearing.

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