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Yesterday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) introduced the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA) of 2011, which proposes to maintain the current truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds and maximum truck length of 53 feet on interstate highways. A similar bill (H.R. 1574) was introduced in the House last month by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).

SHIPA would “improve safety and prevent excessive strain on the nation’s roads, tunnels and bridges,” and “keep bigger, heavier trucks off the road,” Lautenberg said in a prepared statement. The legislation also would extend the current weight limit and freeze on triple-trailers, with only a few exemptions, such as for firefighting equipment; close loopholes that allow the operation of overweight trucks; and establish an enforcement program to ensure accountability, he said.

Heavier and longer trucks pose safety risks, including longer stopping distances and the potential for rollover accidents and trailers swaying into adjacent lanes, Lautenberg said. Research shows that a 100,000-pound truck with unadjusted brakes travels 25 percent further than an 80,000-pound truck after brakes are applied, he said.

In addition, large trucks account for a disproportionately high share of deaths based on miles traveled. In 2009, large trucks were involved in accidents that caused 3,380 fatalities and 74,000 injuries, according to Lautenberg.
 
“Keeping super-sized tractor-trailers off our roads will save lives and protect our highways and bridges from heavy damage,” he said.  “We know how important trucks are to our economy, but trucks share the roads with our families and we must take every step possible to avoid senseless tragedies. This legislation takes a balanced, common-sense approach to maintaining our highways, keeping our economy moving forward, and making sure our roads are safe for everyone traveling on them.”

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) — which opposes any attempts to increase truck sizes and weights on interstates — lauded the bills.

“Big, heavy trucks today don’t pay their full share of damage to our nation’s highways, costing American taxpayers billions of dollars each year for pothole and bridge repairs,” said AAR Vice President of Communications Patricia Reilly in a prepared statement. “Now isn’t the time to increase the infrastructure subsidy enjoyed by trucks, which in turn increases the cost burden on taxpayers.”
 
Currently, there are proposals before Congress that would increase truck weights by as much as 20 percent from the current 80,000-pound cap to 97,000 pounds.
 
“The additional cost of repairing bridge damage alone caused by raising truck size 20 percent could be as much as $65 billion,” said Reilly. “That’s not money that will come from the trucking companies. Rather, these costs will be paid by U.S. taxpayers and motorists to repair the damage trucks cause to our highway infrastructure.”