December 2, 2004

PSC Goes On The Road

Staff
Charleston

The Public Service Commission wants to make it easier on coal haulers to get their required permits. So they're taking their show on the road and holding workshops in southern West Virginia through Thursday.

PSC official Mike Browning says taking the permit workshops to the coalfields was a huge success last year and they wanted to do it again this year.

Haulers are required to purchase a permit every year depending on the weight of the loads they carry. The permits can cost anywhere from $100 for smaller haulers to $500 for those who haul up to the legal limit 120,000 pounds.

Browning says without the workshops, the haulers would have no choice but to drive to Charleston to get their permits. He says that's not always convenient for drivers in the southern most part of the state.

Once a driver purchases a permit they receive a sticker that has to go on the side of their truck letting PSC officers know they have state approval to haul up to a certain load.

Browning says the workshops are also beneficial because they give drivers the chance to ask pertinent question one-on-one with a PSC officer.

Every hauler in the state must have the new permit purchased and the sticker on their truck by Jan. 1.