ATA, TCA Forge United Front on Increasing Truck Weights

GRAPEVINE, Texas — American Trucking Associations and the Truckload Carriers Association last week created a united front in the industry’s drive to raise truck weight limits by endorsing both an 88,000-pound limit for 5-axle tractor-trailers and a 97,000-pound limit for 6-axle configurations.

The new policy, approved by both groups’ boards during industry meetings here, supplants a divided approach that has been in place for five years.

ATA’s board added the 88,000-pound, 5-axle approach to its proposal, while TCA’s leadership adopted the 97,000-pound, 6-axle setup.

The approach gives Congress options as it once again weighs enhancements to trucking productivity.

Two decades ago, the railroad industry succeeded in convincing Congress to impose a nationwide 80,000-pound truck weight limit except where states already had a higher standard.

“The trucking industry, like any family, sometimes takes a while to reach a consensus, but we’re happy that we have been able to bring our respective policies on truck productivity in line,” ATA President Bill Graves said. “It is critical that we petition our elected leaders with one voice, and this brings us closer to our industry unity.”

ATA has supported the 97,000-pound, 6-axle approach since 2006; TCA has backed the 88,000-pound, 5-axle option since 2009.

“Considering all of the challenges we face as an industry, it should always be our priority to find common ground on as many issues as possible,” said TCA President Chris Burruss. “I applaud the leadership of TCA and ATA for finding common ground on this difficult issue.”

ATA’s action on the 88,000-pound option was approved with a provision that would require enhanced braking power to assure stopping distances that comply with federal brake rules, which set a maximum stopping distance of 250 feet at 60 mph.

While the two trucking groups harmonized their policy, the effort to boost trucking productivity may not go anywhere soon. Senate leaders have said they won’t address truck weight in transportation reauthorization legislation and the House hasn’t yet taken a stance on the size question.

When asked about reauthorization at an Oct. 18 press conference, Graves said, “I am not optimistic that we are going to see a resolution of reauthorization any time soon.”

Graves praised transportation leadership in Congress as well as the Transportation Department for being “very interested” in crafting a highway bill, but observed that their approaches are quite different.

“We have one playing football, one playing baseball and one may be playing basketball,” Graves observed, without associating a particular sport with any one of the three interests.

“With possible hours-of-service changes threatening to limit capacity, congestion choking our highways and the driver shortage worsening, we need to find ways to improve our industry’s productivity,” said ATA Chairman Dan England, who also is chairman of C.R. England Inc.

England said the harmonized approach will improve the industry’s position before Congress, as trucking maintains that “more productive trucks are safer, more efficient and greener than conventional combinations without causing more wear and tear on our roads.”

The main opponent of increasing truck sizes and weights is the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks, which is partly funded by the railroads and has backing from the American Automobile Association and the Teamsters. That group questions the safety of heavier trucks and maintains that those vehicles don’t pay enough taxes to cover damage to roads.

CABT didn’t provide a comment when contacted by TT.

The Coalition for Transportation Productivity, a shipper-backed group with about 200 members, praised the trucking groups’ agreement.

“CTP is obviously pleased to see the transportation community coming together to support [increasing truck weights] at such a critical time,” said John Runyan, executive director of the group.

The approach favored by trucking groups and CTP would give the states the option to increase weight limits — a power they had before the 80,000-pound federal limit was imposed.

“Given the advances in brake technology, an 88,000-pound, 5-axle truck using enhanced brakes will meet federal rules limiting commercial vehicle stopping distance,” said TCA Chairman Gary Salisbury, chief executive officer of Fikes Truck Line, Hope, Ark. “By amending our policies and compromising, TCA and ATA have set the trucking industry on the road to success.”

The brake changes would be focused on drum brakes, which would need to be altered with features such as enhanced brake pads to remain within the 250-foot stopping distance when an 88,000-pound load is being carried.

A separate effort is being made in Congress to allow wider use of triple trailers through the Cleaner Safer Trucking coalition. That group, composed primarily of less-than-truckload carriers, is backed by ATA as well as manufacturing and retail trade groups.