Debate Heats Up Over Pilot Program for Heavier Trucks on Interstate Highways
Last week, a coalition comprised of associations representing both Class 1 railroad companies and smaller short line rail operations, as well as unions and other groups, sent a letter to House leadership expressing opposition to H.R. 3372—an ABMA-supported bill that authorizes a pilot program for heavier 91,000-pound rigs equipped with a sixth axle to travel on our nation’s interstate highway system. The current gross vehicle truck weight limit on federal highways is 81,000 pounds on 5 axles.
The letter was prompted by a sign-on letter request from Members of Congress supporting H.R. 3372 urging House leadership to vote on the measure when Congress returns in September. One of the supporting talking points for H.R. 3372 is that it would reduce truck traffic on local roads that frequently run through small towns and intersect cross walks by encouraging shippers to move freight more efficiently on the federal interstate system. The opposition letter turns that argument on its head by asserting the following:
“Increases in truck size and weight would have especially severe consequences for local roads and bridges because bigger trucks are not limited to the interstates. These heavier and longer trucks need to run on state and local roads to pick up and drop off freight, as well as for “reasonable access” for fuel, food and other necessities. Local roads and bridges face significantly more damage than interstates because they may be older, built to lower standards, or are already in poor condition.”
The letter was written by the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks—a Class 1 railroad-funded organization that has lobbied against any reform of federal truck weight policy for over a decade. The rails view any increase in allowable truck weight limits as a competitive threat, even though rail cannot possibly serve all shippers’ needs and the Class 1s would increase profits as a 91,000-pound limit would escalate truck traffic to rail intermodal facilities. The letter is purposefully misleading too as it references “longer” trucks. The rigs authorized by the pilot in H.R. 3372 to travel on the federal interstate would have the same configuration as trucks operating on our roads. The only difference is the addition of the sixth axle that improves weight dispersion across all the tires, thereby reducing pavement consumption, and also improving braking.
This bill was one of ABMA’s priorities during our fly-in earlier this year. We will continue to advocate for House-passage but wanted to flag for you that the opposition is active.
USDA Opens Applications for Rural Business Loan Program
On August 8, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will receive applications from local lenders for funding to help create jobs in rural areas through the agency’s Intermediary Relending Program. The program provides low-interest loans to local lenders who then relend the funds to local businesses to grow economies in rural communities. These loans can be used by businesses to buy equipment and machinery and “acquire, build, convert, expand or repair a business,” among other things. For more information, view the announcement here.
