Raymond Motor Transportation, Inc. v. Rice

Summary

The Court held that Wisconsin's restrictions on operating 65-foot double-trailer trucks unconstitutionally burden interstate commerce. Although highway safety is a legitimate state interest entitled to a strong presumption of validity, the State's safety justification was unsupported by the record, while the regulations substantially increased transportation costs and caused significant delays and diversions. The judgment was reversed and the case remanded. Justice Blackmun, concurring, emphasized that the decision was narrow and rested on the absence of demonstrated safety benefits rather than judicial second-guessing of genuine legislative safety judgments.