“The legislature is in full swing in Austin and it has been brought to my attention that there is a bill or two that will be filed concerning the increasing of weight of commercial trucks from the current 80,000 lbs. to 100,000 lbs., which is an increase of 10 tons. I am totally against any such increase for the following reasons: trucks with this weight will increase the danger to motorists, increase the damage to our streets, highways and bridges,…
Reading Eagle (PA): Guest op-ed: Bigger trucks bad news for U.S. Highways
“Heavy commercial trucks, in spite of their positive purpose in moving freight, do great damage to our roadways. It takes almost 10,000 cars to do the damage a single 80,000-pound truck can do. Berks County has had an explosion of warehouses along the Interstate 78 corridor, and even though that’s a positive sign of commerce, it comes with some serious negatives — including quicker deterioration of our roads along with some horrifying accidents involving big trucks. Recently there was a…
Dispatch Argus (IL): Bigger trucks put Illinois motorists at risk
“Here in Bartonville, our residents use I-474 on a daily basis. Most concerning for us as law enforcement professionals is McKinley Avenue and the trucks that get off the Interstate to head south on US-24. These vehicles pass through the heart of our commercial district, a block from our grade school and right along the front yards and driveways of dozens of homes. It’s not hard to identify specific issues we’ve had with semi-truck traffic. On Dec. 6 a school…
Lincoln Journal Star (NE): Local view: Say not to longer, heavier trucks
“However, as president of the Nebraska State Troopers Association, my focus right now is on other aspects of the holiday rush, including the safety of our motorists as they travel our roadways to and from the stores. It is already dangerous enough on the highway this time of year, with winter weather compromising driving conditions. That is why I am deeply troubled with proposals in Washington, D.C., that would allow longer and heavier tractor-trailers on Nebraska roads. One group of…
Dallas Morning News: Bigger rigs mean bigger risk on congested Texas highways
“At the most basic level, heavier and longer trucks will tend to make accidents more severe. Longer double trucks are more difficult to pass in many situations, such as while merging into moving traffic or during a rainstorm as they splash water onto cars’ windshields, and they have a longer stopping distance than the double trailers they would replace. Heavier trucks tend to wear out their safety equipment sooner — vital safety equipment such as brakes and tires. Over the past few years, lobbyists for…
The Oklahoman: Sheriff: Say no to bigger trucks on Oklahoma roads
I serve on the National Sheriffs Association Traffic Safety Committee and am the president of the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association — both oppose any increases in weight or length of commercial trucks, and for good reason. Recent proposals to increase commercial truck weights and length have failed in Congress, but the looming infrastructure debate will allow proponents another opportunity. One special-interest group is pushing to increase the weight of trucks from the current 80,000-pound maximum limit to 91,000 pounds, while another…
Quad-City Times (IA): Oppose Bigger Trucks
“As a law enforcement professional going on 40 years and in my role as president of the Iowa State Troopers Association, I have seen too many truck crashes to think that heavier and longer trucks are somehow a good idea. I currently patrol Interstate-80, from the Mississippi River over to Iowa City, and anyone who travels that stretch of interstate knows how much truck traffic there is, and the dangers that come along with it. Heavier and longer trucks endanger…
CABT Statement in Response to Letter Requesting Heavier-Truck Provision in U.S. House Legislation
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…
Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail: WV senators can vote down dangerous trucks
CHARLESTON, W.V.—As the chief of police of Parkersburg and the president of the West Virginia Chiefs of Police Association, public safety is always at the forefront of my mind. But protecting our families and residents comes in many different forms. One particularly pressing and deeply troubling issue is the threat in Congress that would allow for heavier and longer tractor-trailer trucks on our roads. This is especially critical here in West Virginia because both of our U.S. senators sit on…
The Oklahoman: Local sheriff against bigger truck loads pleads with Congress
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.—Semi trucks with larger, heavier loads would endanger Oklahoma roads and drivers, Payne County Sheriff R.B. Hauf told members of Congress last week. The issue has popped up as the U.S. House prepares the federal spending bill. Members of the House Committee on Appropriations will go through the bill on Wednesday, considering amendments in a process known as markup. Hauf is just one of hundreds of local officials who are fighting against the proposal. Some of the nation’s…