CABT: Municipal leaders ask Congress to oppose bigger trucks

More than 1,000 local government leaders this week signed a letter to Congress asking policymakers to oppose proposed increases in truck, size or weight, including longer double-trailer trucks and heavier single-trailer trucks.

The letter — signed by mayors, county engineers and public works directors — was delivered yesterday to Capitol Hill offices, according to the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT).

"Longer and heavier trucks would cause significantly more damage to our transportation infrastructure, costing us billions of dollars that local government budgets simply cannot afford, compromising the very routes that American motorists use every day," the letter states.

The CABT is a national, nonprofit organization that advocates for highway safety and transportation policies.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is among organizations that are opposed to laws that would allow larger, longer or heavier trucks on the nation's roads and highways. AAR officials intend to voice their concerns about proposed increases in truck size and weight when they meet with lawmakers next month at Railroad Day on Capitol Hill.

To learn more about AAR's concerns about truck size and other legislative issues, read this month's cover story in Progressive Railroading.