SHIPA Bill Gaining Support

The Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA) would strengthen US truck size and weight laws.  Endorsed by major environmental, labor, law enforcement and other organizations, SHIPA would save taxpayer dollars while also putting the brakes on increases in pollution from heavy trucks. More...

 

Bigger Truck Supporters Lobbying Hard

As CABT's SHIPA campaign picks up steam, the supporters of bigger, more damaging trucks are pushing back - hard.  Major shipper and trucking interests want to allow triple trailer trucks and other huge mutli-trailer combinations and increase maximum truck weight from the current 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds.

COALITION AGAINST BIGGER TRUCKS

 

Bigger trucks translate into greater damage to bridges and roads -- and it will be the average taxpayer, not the trucking companies, who pays the bill for repairs and maintenance. With tightening budgets at the federal, state and local levels of government, additional resources for highway maintenance and bridge reconstruction will be hard to obtain. In addition, the inevitable result of bigger trucks will be more pollution, higher taxes, more congestion and an unbalanced freight transportation system.

The American public is overwhelmingly opposed to sharing its highways with bigger trucks and CABT helps turn this opposition into action. We work to ensure that the voices of average persons are heard and heeded in the halls of government across the country.

 

 

In the Spotlight

Truck Toll on VA roads Outweighs Fees Paid
Heavy loads hauled by trucks were responsible for $211.4 million in damage to state roads in 2007, while companies paid only $2.7 million in fees for permits to operate in excess of vehicle weight limits. More...

Groups Ask Congress to Lift Federal Truck Weight Limits
Three groups that back raising the federal truck limit to 97,000 pounds formally launched a campaign last week to convince Congress to end a 17-year freeze on vehicle weight. More...

Hennepin County Commisioner Testifies before Congress
Hennepin County is opposed to any increases in the size or weight of commercial trucks operating on our highways. This past April, the Hennepin County Board unanimously passed a resolution opposing any increase in truck size or weight, and the Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a similar measure just three weeks ago. More...

Trucking Industry Should Be Taxed for Its True Cost
All in all, an 80,000-pound truck, historically the maximum allowed in many states, may do 5,000 times or more as much damage as a single passenger auto. Studies repeatedly show that the fuel taxes paid by heavy trucks cover barely half the wear they impose on public highways. More...