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06/06/2008 - Maine Senators Call for Heavier Trucks on Federal Highways
With leaders in both government and industry grasping for ways to lessen the impact of soaring fuel costs on the economy, Maine Senator Susan Collins recently introduced a bill that she believes will help alleviate some of the strain being placed on the trucking industry. The bill calls for allowing trucks carrying up to 100,000 pounds to travel on the Federal highway system whenever the price of diesel is higher than $3.50. The bill, co-sponsored by Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, also calls for a two-year pilot program and an accompanying study to determine if heavier loads had any effect on public safety.
“Our nation faces record high energy prices, affecting almost every aspect of daily life. The rapidly growing price of diesel is putting an increasing strain on our trucking industry, which is the cornerstone of our economy,” said Collins during a recent press conference in Augusta, Maine. “Current laws that force trucks carrying more than 80,000 pounds off the [F]ederal interstate system, and onto smaller, two-lane roads, simply do not make sense. This legislation would lessen the fuel cost burden on truckers by putting these trucks back on the [F]ederal interstate where they belong.”
Collins pointed to three trucking-specific benefits of the bill:
A higher weight limit would allow each truck to carry more cargo per shipment, reducing the total number of trucks needed to transport goods.
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Trucks carrying up to 100,000 pounds would not need to move onto local routes, as they currently do. This would enable trucks to take more direct routes and avoid the delays and idling stops associated with local roads.
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Trucks traveling on the interstate system would save fuel because of the "vastly superior road geometrics" of the Interstate System compared to rural and urban road systems.
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Current laws tie vehicle weight restrictions to government transportation funding and limit or deny Federal transportation dollars for states allowing vehicles heavier than 80,000 pounds on highways in the Interstate System.
Opponents of heavier loads claim that larger and heavier trucks would result in several undesirable consequences, including endangering public safety and increased wear and tear on highways and bridges. They have also claimed that heavier loads should be increasingly carried by rail.
The bill was referred to Senate committee on May 22 and is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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