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WASHINGTON (July/Aug. 2016)—Putnam County (N.Y.) Sheriff Don Smith wrote an article published in Sheriff & Deputy magazine, formerly called Sheriff magazine, that highlights his opposition to longer and heavier trucks.“I wrote a piece published in Sheriff magazine early last year about law enforcement’s numerous concerns with longer and heavier tractor-trailers, and how a handful of special interests on Capitol Hill want to unleash them onto our nation’s highways. Here’s the good news: Congress rejected several attempts to push through bigger-truck…

WASHINGTON (May 19, 2016)—Fred Smith, founder and chairman of FedEx Corp., said he believes nationwide use of 33-foot twin trailers can gain approval during the next presidential administration.“We don’t think there is any chance 33-foot trailers will be approved until there is a new administration, but we think it will eventually because they are safer, more environmentally friendly and they save tremendous amounts of fuel,” Smith said.Smith made the comments during a media roundtable here May 19 just before the…

WASHINGTON (March 10, 2016)—Congressman Lou Barletta, PA-11, today accepted an award from the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) for his work to defeat an amendment to the Highway Bill that would have dramatically increased the weight limit on trucks.  Barletta was instrumental in killing the proposal from Rep. Reid Ribble (WI-8) that would have increased the weight limit by 14 percent, from 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds.  He received the recognition at a ceremony in Harrisburg hosted by the Pennsylvania…

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2016)—“For the last year, I’ve worked with local law enforcement to push back against efforts to increase the weight limits for trucks traveling on interstate highways. There are serious safety concerns associated with increasing the weight limits. Under current law, commercial trucks are limited to a weight of 80,000 pounds on 5 axles on U.S. highways. Some have proposed increasing the weight limit to as much as 97,000 pounds on 6 axles. “I’m grateful to North…

WASHINGTON (Jan. 14, 2016)—Twin 33-foot trailers would be authorized nationwide under legislation Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) introduced this month.The bill would look to extend the length of trucks allowed on federal highways from twin 28-foot trailers to twin 33-foot trailers. Proponents of the longer combination trailers sought to have Congress adopt a similar provision in a fiscal 2016 funding bill. Congressional leaders ultimately passed the funding bill, which was signed into law in December, without the twin 33-foot language. +Read…

WASHINGTON (Nov. 18, 2015)—The Senate voted on Wednesday to drop a proposal to increase the length of twin-trailer trucks that are allowed on U.S. roads from an appropriations bill. Trucking groups were pushing Congress to increase a current limit on the length of double-trailer rigs, from 28 feet to 33 feet. The Senate voted Wednesday to remove the proposal to increase the length of trucks to what are known as “twin 33s” from a funding bill for the departments of…

WASHINGTON (Nov. 3, 2015)—The House on Tuesday defeated an amendment to a $325 billion highway funding bill that would have let states decide whether they want to allow heavier trucks on their roads. The amendment, from Reps. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), David Rouzer (R-N.C.) and Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), would allow states to decide whether they want to increase a current limit of 80,000 pounds for cargo trucks to 91,000 pounds. Proponents wanted to attach it to the highway…

WASHINGTON (Oct. 21, 2015)—Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong urged Congress Wednesday to fight efforts to allow trucks hauling long trailers to operate on the nation’s highways, saying they pose a serious danger to motorists. “Trucks with longer double trailers would make our roads dangerous. It is just that simple,’’ Armstrong said.  “A delivery arriving a day early is not worth one life — not in Vicksburg, not in Mississippi, and not here in our nation’s capital.’’ Armstrong joined Republican Sen.…

WASHINGTON (Oct. 21, 2015)—Watch as U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, makes the case for stopping a federal mandate to allow large trucks to pull double 33-foot trailers on the nation’s highways. The video also includes Police Chief Walter Armstrong, from Vicksburg, Mississippi, who delivers his statement in opposition to bigger trucks. +Watch on YouTube…

WASHINGTON (Sept. 22, 2015)—Lafayette Police Chief Patrick Flannelly knows how many semitrailer trucks travel up and down I-65, and he doesn’t like the idea of the trucks getting any bigger. “You don’t have to be a police officer to be out on the interstate and feel a sense of uneasiness any time you get around those double trailers,” he said. Flannelly traveled to Washington, D.C., last week hoping to convince lawmakers that it’s a bad idea to add 10 feet…