Support the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act that Strengthens the Economy by Increasing Truck Productivity

Ports-to-Plains Alliance is a member of the Western States Transportation Alliance.

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Click here for original release > Cleaner Safer Trucking Inc. via Western States Transportation Alliance

January 31, 2012

Congress should restore authority to the states to make decisions about which roads are suited for more productive trucks including longer combination vehicles (LCVs.)

In 1991 Congress passed a provision that stripped the states of their authority to regulate which truck configurations can safely operate on their highways. There was no crisis or great public outcry. Rather, Washington decided it was wiser and better suited to make such decisions. Even as roads have been improved and new roads built, the states that permitted LCVs in 1991 haven't been able to update the list of roads on which they can operate.

Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has drafted the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a 5-year bill to reauthorize federal surface transportation programs. This bill also restores flexibility to states which currently allow LCVs to open up additional routes while giving the federal Department of Transportation oversight authority to assure safe operations. We urge you to support these provisions.

The freight railroad industry and its front groups (such as the Coalition Against Big Trucks) are using false safety arguments to undermine Chairman Mica’s effort to restore authority to the states and make trucking more productive. They want the trucking productivity provisions pulled from the draft or relegated to a study. We ask that you strongly oppose such efforts or any attempt to substitute "study" language.  Time is of the essence. Committee markup is scheduled for this Thursday, February 2. It is critical that members of Congress be contacted before Thursday!

The message is this:  LCVs have operated in many states for decades.  They have an outstanding safety record, and they reduce emissions and fuel consumption.  They enhance our international competitiveness by increasing productivity.  Their expanded use is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Retail Federation, the Highway Users Association and many others. State legislatures are better qualified to determine which truck configurations are best suited for their highways than is Washington and now is the time to begin to restore to the states the authority stripped from them twenty years  ago. Please support the trucking productivity provisions in Chairman John Mica’s American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act.

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Western States Transportation Alliance: Ten western states have joined an alliance designed to foster cooperation on a variety of highway-related issues, including truck size and weight, highway safety, cooperative state highway administration and improved commercial vehicle safety inspections. The alliance, known as the Multi-State Highway Transportation Agreement (MHTA), recognized the unique transportation challenges faced by rural western states and was intended to improve communication between state legislators, state administrators and private industry.

Cleaner Safer Trucking is coalition of stakeholders interested in improving the safety, productivity and environmental sustainability of the trucking industry through sensible changes to vehicle size and weight regulations. Our members include leading participants in the freight trucking community, including motor carriers, equipment manufacturers, trade associations and shipper consortiums representing a broad group of industries and interests.