FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2018

Contact: Shane Reese, 919.339.3785

STATEMENT FROM THE COALITION AGAINST BIGGER TRUCKS IN RESPONSE TO LETTER SIGNED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REQUESTING HEAVIER-TRUCK PROVISION IN UPCOMING LEGISLATION:

“Heavier-truck proponents continue to push for a 91,000-pound pilot project, turning our roads into test tracks and dragging American motorists into a dangerous experiment,” said Shane Reese, spokesman for the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks. “The most recent effort is a letter signed by Members of Congress asking that language approving a pilot project be included into upcoming surface transportation legislation,” he said. “It would be unwise to initiate any such pilot program and unnecessarily expose motorists to these heavier trucks at a time when the USDOT has recommended against such increase and has laid out a clear path to gather the necessary data, without implementing hazardous pilot projects.”

“The most recent comprehensive study by USDOT shows that heavier trucks have higher crash rates, ranging from 47 percent to as high as 400 percent, and higher out-of-service violation rates than the current 80,000-pound, five-axle truck on the road today,” said Reese. “The study also estimates over $1 billion in damage to our Interstate bridges — and that’s only taking into account about 20 percent of the bridges nationwide.” He continued, “These are the same findings that compelled Congress to reject heavier-truck legislation just a few years ago.”