SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker is asking the Illinois Department of Transportation to consider extending the Illinois Harvest Permit program into summer 2027, a move farm groups say could cut hauling costs during a period of record-high diesel prices.
The program allows heavier truck weights on specified routes during harvest. Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Transportation and Infrastructure Rodney Knittel said extending it would let farmers use the higher weight limits when moving stored grain to river terminals and other delivery points next year.
Knittel estimated the savings at about two fewer loads per 80-acre field at state average yields when using a harvest permit, and said the program has helped producers move grain more efficiently while operating safely.
Why it matters near Geneseo
In Henry County, where fall harvest quickly turns into winter grain movement, fewer loads means fewer miles, less fuel, and less wear during the expensive haul to elevators and Mississippi River terminals.
With diesel costs elevated — the same pressure behind the state's temporary dyed-diesel penalty relief for farm use through Dec. 31 — local operators are watching both fuel price and trucking efficiency closely. An extension into 2027 would shift the permit from a fall-only tool to one farmers could use when bins are emptied in the winter and spring.
Farm Bureau encourages producers to learn more through their county Farm Bureau office or IDOT. IDOT has not yet announced a decision on the extension.
