INCHESTER — The state Senate and House of Delegates are considering legislation to participate in a multiyear pilot program to test the impact of increasing the weight of trucks on Virginia interstate highways from the current limit of 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds. Senate Bill 504, introduced by Sen. Charles Carrico Sr., and House Bill 1276, introduced by Del. Scott Garrett, are identical bills that would authorize the state Commissioner of Highways to enroll in a federal pilot program to…
New Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Oppose Bigger Trucks
WASHINGTON—Congress is likely to consider several proposals this session to increase truck size and weight. The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) commissioned a live-operator nationwide poll of 800 likely voters, of which the overwhelming majority oppose longer and heavier trucks. The survey was conducted Jan. 10-14, 2018, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. “This nationwide poll illustrates that motorists clearly do not want to be flanked by longer or heavier tractor-trailers on the…
Modesto Bee: Don’t send those huge trucks onto our local roads, bridges, says county engineer
Keeping our roads and bridges drivable is one of the highest priorities I have in Stanislaus County. In fact, it’s a top priority for public works departments throughout California. As the immediate past president of the County Engineers Association of California, I know firsthand the issues faced by my fellow engineers in keeping our roads and bridges safe for public use. One of the biggest issues we are staring down right now is a federal proposal to allow heavier and…
Kansas City Star: Heavier trucks would make highways more dangerous, says Sheriff
As America’s crossroads and the midpoint to both the East and West coasts, Kansas is a hotbed of trucking activity. There is little argument that the trucking industry thrives here and should continue to thrive as a vital part of our economy and culture. But the vast majority of law enforcement professionals across the country agree on another truck truism: Longer double-trailer trucks and heavier 18-wheelers on our nation’s roads, including here in Kansas, are a danger and are not…
Sheriff & Deputy Magazine: Put a stop to bigger trucks, says Sheriff
“Profit margins should never obstruct the public’s best interests in highway safety and infrastructure preservation.” — Sheriff Alex Hodge Like many of you, I have spent the majority of my career in law enforcement—nearly a decade as sheriff of Jones County (Mississippi) and 12 years as a state trooper previously. Also like you, protecting and serving the people of my county and state continues to be my top priority—it is what I was called to do—and that is why I…
The Hill: Rebuild infrastructure, but keep longer and heavier trucks off highways, says Sheriff
As a lifelong conservative Republican, I believe that free enterprise and fewer burdensome regulations enable American prosperity and economic growth. As a retired United States Army General Officer, I value efficient logistics and productivity. And in my role as chairman of the board of the American Security Council Foundation, I firmly believe that we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil and secure our future energy needs right here at home. The proposal to adopt longer double-trailer trucks, though, undermines…
Assoc. County Commissioners of GA: Increased Truck Weights May Again be Addressed by Congress This Fall
The U.S. Congress will likely begin addressing America’s infrastructure needs and challenges this fall. Among issues expected to arise are increasing truck length and weight limits on America’s interstates – which necessarily means heavier trucks on county roads leading to and from interstates as well. The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) is preparing for this debate by asking local elected officials from across the country to lend their name to a letter opposing these increases. Georgia county commissioners may be…
IL Sheriffs’ Assoc.: Public Safety Issue Involving Bigger Trucks
Special interests in Washington, D.C., have pushed for years for longer and heavier tractor-trailers. While trucks play an important role in our state’s economy, we as law enforcement leaders know that longer and heavier trucks would add new dangers to our highways as well as increase damage to our roads and bridges. The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association has consistently opposed bigger trucks, and we need your help to stop them from operating here in Illinois. Several bills debated in Congress would…
Double-Trailer Trucks Found to Have More Defects; New Study Finds Defective Trucks Three Times More Likely to Be Involved in a Crash
A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released in December of 2016 shows that tractor-trailers with any out-of-service violation are 362 percent more likely to be involved in a crash. This is especially important because some trucking companies and shippers continue to push Congress to approve longer and heavier tractor-trailers, which have been found to have more defects than today’s 80,000-pound, single-trailer trucks. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) delivered its Final Report to Congress in…
CABT Podcast: Police Chief Tim Jayroe
ROCKPORT, TEXAS (September 9, 2016)—Rockport Police Chief Tim Jayroe discusses his career in law enforcement and how that experience informs his decision to oppose heavier tractor-trailers in Rockport and surrounding areas. +Listen here…