Teamsters condemn plan to raise federal limits on maximum truck wieghts

The following is a statement from Teamsters Freight Division Director John Murphy and Teamsters Carhaul Division Director Avral Thompson on a vote in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to approve HR 3372 and HR 2948, which raise maximum allowable truck weights for vehicles operating on the nation’s interstate highways:

“The Teamsters see these bills for what they clearly are – a naked giveaway to industry special interests more concerned with profit than the safety of experienced commercial drivers or the driving public. This legislation is absolutely not – as proponents are falsely claiming – a good-faith effort to address supply chain challenges.

“We reject the notion that the only way to determine if heavier trucks are safe is by unleashing them on our roads through the poorly designed, unrestricted pilot program that this legislation allows. The Department of Transportation, civil engineers, and drivers have long agreed that heavier trucks pose demonstrable risks to motorists and harm to infrastructure.

“Furthermore, several states already allow trucks that are heavier than the federal limit to operate on their state and local roads. They are cited for safety violations at substantially higher rates and are involved in more severe crashes. We don’t need a pilot program to tell us what we already know.

“The committee should return to the drawing board to examine real solutions to the issues that persist in the trucking industry. Neither HR 3372 nor HR 2948 should move further along in the legislative process.”