US Congress Puts Profit Above Truck Driver Safety

Posted on June 05. 2023

By: ClassADrivers.com

Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

US Congress Puts Profit Above Truck Driver Safety

Is bigger always better? For politicians looking for a quick solution to the supply chain crisis and for trucking companies looking to make more money, bigger trucks sound like a good idea. Larger trucks can haul more freight with a single driver, increasing profits and moving more products.

This is exactly the plan put forward in the US House of Representatives as part of the SHIP IT Act. A provision in the bill would raise the weight limit of trucks from the standard 80,000 lbs to 91,000 lbs.

Although this would only be a pilot program, the plan to get bigger has already met with opposition.

Why Isn’t Bigger the Same as Better?

Moving more freight sounds great, but there are problems. Big problems.

The primary issues with increasing the weight of trucks to 91,000 lbs are safety and infrastructure. Safety is an issue with longer trucks that may be more unwieldy. More weight could also result in more severe accidents.

Heavy-duty trucks also add more pressure on bridges and add more wear ‘n’ tear to roads. Despite passing a long-awaited Infrastructure Bill earlier in the term of the Biden Administration, America’s infrastructure still needs a lot of work.

Using our existing bridges as a pilot program for heavier trucks could have catastrophic consequences.

Who Opposes the Higher Weights?

The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) represents many industry organizations that all oppose the provision in the SHIP IT Act.

Here’s a complete list of all members of the Coalition:

  • Coalition members

  • American Public Works Association

  • National Association of Counties

  • National Association of County Engineers

  • National Association of Towns and Townships

  • National League of Cities

  • The United States Conference of Mayors

  • International Brotherhood of Teamsters

  • Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

  • Towing and Recovery Association of America Inc.

  • Institute for Safer Trucking

  • Association of American Railroads

  • American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

  • GoRail

  • National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association

  • Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association

  • Railway Supply Institute

  • SMART-TD LL

Although States could individually opt in and out of the program, the Coalition believes that’s not enough. The program must be put to a halt.

According to a statement by the Teamsters, “The Department of Transportation, civil engineers, and drivers have long agreed that heavier trucks pose demonstrable risks to motorists and harm to infrastructure.”

The House Transportation Committee passed the bill anyway.