Over the past year or so, the possibility of truck weight reform on U.S. highways has been a hot topic among agricultural shippers. Canada and Mexico, among others, reap the benefits of higher truck weight limits (fewer trucks on roads, fewer emissions, less wear on infrastructure, etc.), and U.S. growers and shippers justifiably feel the same advantages ought to be available to them.
Many have followed closely the goings-on in Washington surrounding this issue. Following is a recap of what’s happened in the last several months.
Feb. 20, 2015
Coalition Calls for Long-Term Highway Bill
The Coalition for Transportation Productivity (CTP), a group of
200 allied associations and shippers, calls for a “robust, multi-year surface transportation bill in 2015” in a letter sent to leadership of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW). T&I and EPW are the committees of jurisdiction on highway policy.
According to the National Potato Council’s (NPC) Insider Report, the NPC supports reform that would give states the option to increase truck weight limits on federal interstate highways from 80,000 pounds on five axles to 97,000 pounds on six axles. The rationale behind this line of thought is that the reform would reduce the number of trucks on the road, leading to safer roads, fewer emissions, greater efficiency and less wear on infrastructure due to a reduced weight per square inch of road surface— therefore allowing businesses—including potato growers, packers, and shippers—to consolidate shipments and increase efficiency.
April 3, 2015
CTP Urges Anti-Truck Group to Disclose Lobbying Activity
The CTP calls on the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) to fully disclose its lobbying activities. According to the CTP’s letter, the CABT is organized and funded by the rail industry, but the coalition has not provided that fact to Congress.
Earlier in the week, a column published by the New York Times had reported that the group puts former law enforcement officials on the payroll and brings other local officials to the District of Columbia to lobby, without disclosing any railroad ties. The NPC pledges in its Insider Report “to stand with our CTP allies and support increasing the federal truck weight limit.”
May 12, 2015
Ribble Requests DOT Truck Data
Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) sends a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx urging him to release findings from the department’s study on increasing truck weight. Ribble reports that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) publicly
acknowledged that the study would conclude that stopping distance of a five-axle truck loaded to the current federal gross vehicle weight limit of 80,000 pounds is nearly identical to the stopping distance of a six-axle truck loaded to 97,000 pounds.
The study results support the increase in truck weight limits on federal highways in H.R. 612, the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (SETA). Ribble informs the DOT in his letter that the release of the FMCSA survey results will help inform the decision-making by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and requests that DOT release the study immediately.
In mid-May, it appears likely that Congress will extend the deadline for reauthorization of the Highway Transportation Bill until September, allowing additional time to gain support for adding the truck weight increase to that bill.
June 5, 2015
DOT Releases Truck Weight Study
The DOT releases its long-awaited study on the potential impacts and benefits of increasing truck weights on federal highways. The significant conclusions from the study regarding heavier, six-axle trucks include overall lowering of vehicle miles traveled, decline in logistics costs of transporting freight, lower fuel cost and emissions, reduced pavement wear, and vehicle stability and control virtually identical to current trucks.
The CTP releases a statement applauding the release of the study. The NPC’s Insider Report suggests the study will encourage congressional debate on the truck weight issue.
June 18, 2015
Public Briefing on FHWA Study
The DOT’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) holds a virtual public briefing to provide information on the recently released MAP-21 Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Limits Study (CTSWLS). The study is part of a Congress-mandated report. The briefing provides an overview of the study and answesr questions on the timing and content of the report.
The study results support the safety and economic efficiency of heavier six-axle trucks.
Truck weight reform will continue to be at or near the forefront of the consciousness of the U.S. potato industry, likely until a new transportation bill is passed. The research appears to speak for itself when it comes to the question of increasing truck weights on our highways, but, as we all know, nothing is a foregone conclusion in Washington. This will be an issue to follow in the coming months.