After an extensive review of safety data, the U.S. Department of Transportation in June told congressional leaders that changes in commercial truck sizes and weight should not be considered until it had time to answer many questions that the data failed to address. So, it was wise of the Senate to put the brakes on legislation to increase the length of trucks allowed on federal highways to give the DOT more time to get its questions answered.
Led by FedEx, some shippers are pushing for Congress to approve the use of two 33-foot trailers to haul goods. These trailers are not allowed in 38 states, including Maine. Most truck freight is hauled in 53-foot single trailers, although two 28-foot trailers are legal in most states.
A provision in a federal transportation and housing appropriations bill would have mandated that states allow the tandem 33-foot trailers. The provision, supported by Sen. Susan Collins and opposed by Sen. Angus King, was dropped from the bill in mid-November in favor of a provision that requires the DOT to complete its analysis before any changes to truck lengths or weights are considered.
Because consumers are ordering more smaller merchandise online, trailers are being filled with small boxes before they reach their weight capacity. Shippers argue that extending the permissible trailer lengths, without increasing weight limits, will allow them to haul more freight using fewer trucks, which would not appreciably increase fuel consumption nor emissions.
These sound like persuasive arguments. But the DOT cast doubt on these assertions, saying that any efficiency gains would be small. A further concerns that needs to be discussed is that 33-foot trailers don’t fit with existing intermodal facilities, which connect ships, trucks and rail.
More important are concerns about safety.
“At this time, the Department believes that the current data limitations are so profound that the results cannot accurately be extrapolated to predict national impacts,” DOT Undersecretary Peter Rogoff wrote in a letter to congressional leaders in June. “As such, the Department believes that no changes in the relevant truck size and weight laws and regulations should be considered until these data limitations are overcome.”
Collins worked for years to successfully pass a provision to increase the truck weight limit on Interstate 95 north of Augusta from 80,000 pounds to 100,000 pounds in 2011. Safety was a major reason for the push to allow these trucks on the interstate, so they were not traveling on secondary roads and through downtowns.
The change was not approved until after a one-year pilot project during which data was collected to determine the impacts of having the heavier trucks on the interstate. The study found, for example, that a truck traveling on I-95 from Hampden to Houlton avoided nine school crossings, 30 traffic lights and 86 crosswalks compared to a truck making the same trip on U.S. Route 2. The interstate route also would save the trucker 50 minutes and an estimated $30 in fuel costs.
A similar data collection and analysis should be done for 33-foot trailers to determine if the trailers pose an increased safety threat, as opponents such as the Teamsters and Maine Chiefs of Police Association argue, or whether they increase efficiency without impacting safety, as proponents such as the Maine Motor Transport Association say.
The Senate did the right thing by slowing down and allowing a more thorough review before approving this change.