OK, so here's the deal. I just got a road legal ordinance passed in Carlton county on Monday and I know of a few others where trucks are legal. I'm compiling a list in this thread and also asking to offer support to any truck owner in any county in MN who wants to try and pass an ordinance themselves. Additionally I'm asking for support from anyone in any county that borders Carlton county to help me out since I'm interested in passing similar ordinances all of those counties ESPECIALLY St. Louis county. First a list of counties where trucks are legal (I'll keep it updated as we pass more): Carlton Winona Mower Clearwater Second a link to the law that allows for such an ordinance: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=169.045 Third, I'm attaching a copy of the ordinance I wrote up to submit to the county board; they pretty much adopted it word for word so it must be close enough for government work Note that I included specific wording that defines mini trucks narrowly AND requires an e-brake, enclosed cab, turn signals and DOT tires etc for on-road operation; this will help put to rest any fears your county board might have about opening the door to guys driving their ATV's on the road and messing things up. Finally, a few tips: Patience is key. This is the government and things move slowly. Don't be afraid to repeat yourself or be annoying with tons of follow up e-mails and phone calls. Know your facts inside out front to back and upside down. The more you can spew figures off the top of your head the better off you are. Be well spoken and firm in your stand but be polite! Always say "sir" or whatever even when responding to a nay-sayer. Remember that your truck is safer than any ATV or motorcycle ever made and yet motorcycles are allowed on any road without a helmet and ATV's can be driven on the shoulder of any state highway right now. Emphasize that it will minimize your impact on public roads if you are allowed to drive on the pavement with DOT tires instead of being forced to drive on the shoulder with ATV tires; your traffic safety and planning guy will probably get behind you there! Talk about truck efficiency, pollution, dependence on foreign oil, air quality and noise pollution. Remember that our trucks are cleaner and quieter than any ATV ever built! Talk about how versatile they are; how you can go from driving through your fields checking fence line or dragging a deer out of the woods to driving down the highway at 55 mph without missing a beat or sacrificing safety or comfort. Ask why you should be required to drive a bigger, less efficient truck into town when 90% of the time you can haul whatever you need to in your mini truck. Don't EVER let a person at a meeting say something negative without countering it. If they say the truck is too small and dangerous, bring up motorcycles. If they say they won't keep up with traffic offer to take them for a spin at 60 mph. If they claim they aren't visible, bring up that the roof is higher than most sedans. Remind them that you can already drive your truck on the shoulder, only you aren't required to wear a seatbelt and are required to have less safe bias-ply ATV tires! If they bring up emissions, provide them with a copy of an emissions report showing how clean they operate and let them know all trucks are now EPA certified for import. There isn't one single valid point they can make; any naysayer will look foolish by the time you're done refuting all their arguments. Above all else, be persistent and don't give in when it takes a long time. You can get there! Sell the benefits of your truck to the county board members and your ordinance has a fighting chance! Shoot me a PM or e-mail if you have any questions or want me to come speak at a board meeting! Good luck guys!!! -Iron
Ironraven, I believe you may have had a hand in getting kei trucks legalized in Carlton county. I'm interested in giving St. Louis county another go at legalizing kei trucks on county roads. I'm wondering if you have continued any of your work with this and if you had any new ideas or words of wisdom you've learned since 2010? Thank you, Albres
He last logged on in March of 2021. So, he probably won’t respond. If you click on the users name, below their icon it opens a window which tells your their basic information. When they joined, and most importantly when they were last logged in.
