Raymond Motor Transportation, Inc. v. Rice

Summary

The Court held that Wisconsin's restrictions on 65-foot double-trailer trucks unconstitutionally burden interstate commerce because the State's asserted highway-safety justification was unsupported by the record, while the regulations imposed substantial costs, delays, and routing burdens. The Court reversed the three-judge District Court's judgment and remanded for further proceedings. Justice Blackmun, joined by the Chief Justice and Justices Brennan and Rehnquist, concurred to emphasize that the decision was narrow and did not diminish deference to genuine state highway-safety judgments.