Bills Would Stop Truck Size, Weight Exemptions on Interstate Highways
WASHINGTON — Two members of Congress proposed a measure that would stop any state’s attempt to increase truck size and weight restrictions on the more than 220,000 miles of the National Highway System.
The Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act, or SHIPA, would effectively extend the freeze that currently applies to the Interstate Highway System, setting a federal maximum weight of 80,000 pounds with a maximum trailer length of 53 feet, except for highways with greater limits that would be grandfathered in.
“Safety must come before profit,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), said at a Capitol Hill press conference hosted Tuesday by the Truck Safety Coalition, which supports the measure. “We need to stop big industry’s push to increase truck size and weight state-by-state, special interest exemption-by-exemption.”
“SHIPA would extend the commonsense truck size and weight limitations on our interstates all across the National Highway System,” said McGovern, who proposed the measure in the House. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) sponsored identical legislation in the Senate.
SHIPA has been introduced in every session of Congress since at least 2001 but has never been passed.
American Trucking Associations took issue with the arguments from TSC and McGovern.
“This legislation, which has been introduced multiple times and has never been seriously considered, would severely restrict states’ ability to decide for themselves how best to deal with their congestion and goods movement issues at a time when they should be granted more flexibility not less,” said ATA spokesman Sean McNally.
“The trucking industry's first and foremost priority is and has always been the safe and efficient movement of goods on our nation’s highways,” McNally said.
