“During the proposed pilot program, the Department of Transportation would track crashes and determine whether heavier trucks cause more injuries and fatalities – effectively turning other drivers into “guinea pigs,” according to the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks.
That group comprises law enforcement, independent truck drivers, engineers, elected officials and rail freight interests that compete with the trucking industry. Hawkins’ daylong visit to the Capitol to lobby Arizona lawmakers was organized by the group.
He and counterparts from Louisiana and Illinois highlighted concerns about highway safety, congestion and infrastructure damage from bigger trucks with lawmakers from their states. Members from California did the same a few months ago.
“They’re all doing the same thing, talking about the potential damage to infrastructure and the fact that our bridges currently can’t sustain a 91,000-pound load,” he said.
Hawkins met with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and as many representatives as he could. The consensus was positive, he said, and lawmakers appreciated explanations about the difference 11,000 pounds can make.
Tractor-trailers were involved in 2,760 crashes in Arizona in 2022, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. That includes crashes of tractors not pulling a trailer. In 2022 there were 111 fatal collisions, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.”