Trucking Laws · Illinois · November 15, 2026

Illinois Deputies Weigh a 16-Axle Rig at 226,150 Pounds on the New Peace Road Bridge and Issue a $44,210 Fine

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Sheriff's deputies in DeKalb County, Illinois, say a truck driver hauling a crane girder across the new Peace Road bridge in Sycamore was carrying a rig that weighed 226,150 pounds, which is 146,150 pounds over the legal limit.

What deputies found

The stop happened at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, on the newly built Peace Road bridge between Freed Road and Route 64 in Sycamore, according to a sheriff's office news release reported by Shaw Local's Daily Chronicle.

Deputies pulled over a 16-axle oversized semitruck and weighed it with portable truck scales. The total came to 226,150 pounds, which the sheriff's office said is 146,150 pounds over the legal limit.

The truck was a Kenworth pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with a Konecrane overhead crane girder, a long steel beam used in big overhead cranes. The load was headed from Indiana to Wisconsin, the sheriff's office said.

The fine

The truck driver, a 48-year-old man from Texas driving for a Maryland-based company, was cited, fined $44,210 and ordered to appear in court, according to the release. WLPO, part of Starved Rock Media, also reported the fine at roughly $44,200 under state law.

A citation is not a conviction. The case is set for court.

The sheriff's office said the truck did not have the required oversize permits. It also said the rig was too wide and too long for Peace Road and was in violation of several laws.

Why weight matters on a new bridge

Loads this big are not illegal by themselves. Heavy haulers move oversize and overweight freight all the time, but they need state or local permits first. Those permits usually set the route, so a heavy load stays on roads and bridges built to carry it.

The sheriff's office warned that overweight trucks can damage roads and bridges. It also said extra weight can stretch stopping distances, make a truck less stable and harder to steer, and lead to serious mechanical problems such as brake fade or tire blowouts. Brake fade is when brakes get so hot they stop gripping as well as they should.

For anyone curious how weight is spread across a rig, the truck weight and axle calculator shows how gross and axle limits work.

More enforcement ahead

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office said its traffic unit has increased enforcement of commercial vehicle and traffic laws on Peace Road and throughout the county to protect local roads and residents.

The new Peace Road bridge crosses the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River. A nearly mile-long section of Peace Road had been closed during construction, Shaw Local reported.

Quick facts

• Where: the new Peace Road bridge in Sycamore, DeKalb County, Illinois.
• When: 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.
• Weight: 226,150 pounds, which deputies say is 146,150 pounds over the limit.
• Load: an overhead crane girder on a flatbed, Indiana to Wisconsin.
• Result: a citation, a $44,210 fine and a court date, per the sheriff's office.

FAQ

Can a truck legally haul a load this heavy?

Yes, with the right oversize or overweight permits, which usually set a specific route. The sheriff's office says this rig did not have the required permits.

Has the truck driver been convicted?

No. The truck driver was cited and ordered to appear in court. A citation is an accusation, not a finding of guilt.

A question for readers

Who should answer for a load like this, the truck driver behind the wheel or the company that sent the rig out without permits?

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