Coalition touts Interstate weight limit increase

The Trucker News Services

9/30/2009

WASHINGTON — The Coalition for Transportation Productivity (CTP), a coalition of more than 100 shippers and allied associations dedicated to responsibly increasing federal weight limits on interstate highways, sent a letter Tuesday to members of the U.S. House of Representatives to encourage their support for the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009 (H.R. 1799), which would raise the interstate vehicle weight limit for what the group says would make for a “safer, greener, more efficient shipping.”

The letter also outlined what it called the adverse results of enacting the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act (H.R. 1618), or SHIPA.

“The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act gives states the authority to utilize heavier vehicles as a way to improve highway safety, reduce fuel use and emissions and give companies the opportunity to cut costs,” said CTP Executive Director John Runyan. “With trucks traveling more miles than ever to meet demand, the bill would make roads safer by enabling shippers to transport more goods with fewer trucks — reducing the vehicle miles traveled to deliver a company’s products.”

The letter from CTP to House members also encouraged Congressional opposition to the SHIPA bill.

“There have been false allegations that the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act would put ‘bigger’ or “longer’ trucks on interstates. However, the bill would only raise the interstate weight limit for trucks that are the same size as today’s 53-foot rigs,” continued Runyan. “Heavier vehicles would simply be outfitted with a sixth axle to maintain stopping distance and braking capacity.

“And while the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act bolsters each state’s right to decide and enforce weight limits that make sense for their jurisdictions, the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act would imprudently freeze the weight limit on all roads in the national highway system,” he said. “The bill would prevent the use of innovative, heavier weight limits that let states minimize the vehicles and fuel required to deliver goods and feed ports.”

Sponsored by Reps. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) and Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio), H.R. 1799 would allow heavier – not larger – trucks on interstates by giving each state the option to increase its interstate vehicle weight limit to 97,000 pounds for trucks equipped with a sixth axle for safety. Without changing truck size, the additional axle maintains current braking capacity and weight-per-tire-distribution and minimizes pavement wear. A user fee imposed by the bill would fund vital bridge repair.

Kevin Jones of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at kevinj@thetrucker.com.

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