Teamsters President Hoffa Says “NO” to Larger Trucks on America’s Highways
What If They Were Heavier, and Longer?
Had enough of the “big rigs” on the highway? Well, Congress is looking at new weight and size limits, and Teamster President James Hoffa says “no” to bigger trucks.
In a House subcomittee hearing July 9, Hoffa is quoted as saying:
“Bigger trucks are more dangerous trucks. Lifting truck weight and size limits would turn big rigs into time bombs.”
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A background paper prepared by the Subcommittee on Highways and transit staff, the report stated:
“In 2006, nearly 5,000 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks, and an additional 106,000 were injured. Truck size and weight laws impact safety on roads. . . . [M]ultiple factors contribute to truck crashes [but] truck weights and lengths affect stopping distances, braking, and vehicle stability and control.”
The Teamsters Union represents 140,000 truck drivers who operate double-or-triple-trailer rigs in states where permitted.
Rep. Peter A DeFazio (D-Ore), seems to think increase truck sizes on all national highways is a good idea. He’s quoted as saying:
“I don’t think anybody could say the current system makes sense. We have a total failure and we have to look toward the near future.”
And the American Trucking Associations gave a favorable nod to the idea, saying increased trucking productivity will reduce congestion, save fuel and improve safety and air quality.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), has gone on record rejecting the idea of larger trucks with heavier loads, citing dire safety implications, and that heavier loads will hasten the deterioration of the nation’s roads and bridges.
The Railroads Weigh In
The Association of American Railroads disagrees with that notion. President and CEO Michael Sid of YRC North American Transportation is quoted as saying:
“According to the U.S. DOT, trucks weighing over 80,000 pounds pay only about half of their highway cost responsibility. Longer and heavier trucks—unless accompanied by sharp increases in taxes—would exacerbate this inequity and based on a DOT study divert between 100 million and 225 million tons of freight annually from rail to highways”.
A statement from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) said moving all that freight by highway would increase consumption of diesel fuel by 500 million to 1.1 billion additional gallons of diesel fuel and produce 1.6 to 3.8 million tons of additional pollutants and 5.6 to 12.3 million tons of additional carbon dioxide each year.
More than 600 freight railroads are operating on over 173,000 miles of track in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Annual revenues, according to the AAR, top $42 billion, and account for more than 40 percent of all freight transportation.
As for moving freight efficiently, the AAR makes this claim:
“What’s more fuel efficient than the newest hybrid car? A freight train. In 2007, major freight railroads in the United States moved a ton of freight an average of 436 miles on each gallon of fuel. This represents a 3.1 percent improvement over 2006 and an astonishing 85.5 percent improvement since 1980″.
While many diesel locomotives still don’t meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Tier I or Tier II emission standards, retroactive to locomotives built from 1973 and must be applied to all re-manufactured units, the list, according to AAR’s Adam Burns, the list is growing.
Some smaller lines, have been using biodiesel blends in their locomotives, although the larger companies still appear reluctant to try the new fuel, even in small amounts.
Stay tuned.
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I was disappointed to see your article and for the majority of the comments posted here. Your article states, “In 2006, nearly 5,000 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks, and an additional 106,000 were injured.” You failed to mention that “More than 80% of those accidents are the fault of the non-commercial driver.” Over the last 14 years the percentage of accidents involving tractor trailers and non-commercial motor vehicle operators has declined while the percentage of non-commercial motor vehicle operators causing said accidents has increased.
Though weight increases for tractor trailers is not the answer to the problem neither is increasing the volume of freight by railroad. Shippers and Receivers operate in a Just In Time, JIT, freight structure. This means that they ship and receive the inventory that they have instead of stock piling it to ship or use at a later date. This cuts down on labor and storage expenses. Trains can not transpose freight across the country in a timely manner. Trains also idle at over 25 gals of diesel per hour where a tractor trailer idles at only 1 gal of diesel per hour….and with the addition of APU’s, some tractor trailers idle at less than 2 gals of diesel per 8 to 12 hours. With society demanding a Burger King, MY WAY RIGHT AWAY, lifestyle, transporting freight by tractor trailer is still the most efficient means of transportation. Until Shippers & Receivers as well as society changes their attitude, Trucking will remain the most logical choice of freight distribution for many years to come.
The interstate highway system should be exploited as the right of way for a national railroad network for high-speed and conventional passenger/freight. And to build it, I propose a term (1-2 years) of mandatory national youth service and/or a WPA-style program of employment. A stipend, free dental/medical care, room and board and some college credits would be given in return for labor.
The equivalent of all the oil imported by the USA (70% of the total oil budget) goes out the tailpipes of the US motor vehicle fleet. Seventy-five percent of all goods are shipped by motor truck. Rail is–all things considered–the cheapest, most efficient, safest, and fastest means of transporting people and goods. Since 1910, automobile road crashes have killed 60 million people and injured/disabled over 800 million worldwide. Every year 1.2 million die in road crashes and 40 million are injured/disabled. In the USA, 43 million perish annually and 3.5 million are injured/disabled. If the automobile were invented today, this death machine would not be allowed on any public road.