Bill to raise Truck weights to 97,000 lbs is insane.

Bullcrap.

97,000 lbs is too heavy, it's not safe and will destroy roadways and interstates.

80,000 is all the trucks brakes and road surface can handle.

Call or email your Senators to vote against S. 747.

 

Americans Say Bigger Trucks Threaten America's Roadways, Greater Taxpayer Burden -- WASHINGTON, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

 

Transportation For America

Check out the interactive map, it's amazing how many bridges are unsound already.

 

Trucking companies are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Democrats say they are part of the corporate rich and should be taxed to death and diesel prices keep going up while Obama says "get a smaller car if you don't like it". America needs trucks to get the goods delivered and keep the prices down and every time republicans try to give them a break the socialists step in to prevent it.

 

I am rather uneducated on this one. To come up with an opinion I need more information.

A 97,000 pound truck in 2012 will stop in how many feet?

Is that equal to an 80,000 pound truck in 1980?

Something like that would make or break this one for me. The bridge statistics are a good point against it.

 

One also needs to know PSF of the trucks, as this is what affects the roadway. If more tires are added, while you get additional friction effects, the PSF is lowered.

I would assume these trucks are mostly for long haul, and would be predominant only on the interstates in the middle of the country. a 97,000 truck requires multiple trailers I think, and those are unwieldy in urban situations, requirng depots for break-down when they enter thier destination city.

 

I own trucks and I drive a truck.

80,000 lbs destroys equipment, damages the road and reduces fuel mileage by 15%.

An 80,000 lbs truck takes 400 feet to stop at 55 mph.

That's 100 feet longer than a football field.

Adding 17,000 lbs will increase stopping distance to almost TWO football fields.


Truck drivers oppose this increase.

Owner-operators oppose this increase.

The driving public opposes this increase.




Hauling More Weight Safer More Fuel Efficient – Says Who

“Supporters of this bill are the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, a group of more than 150 manufacturers and associations. The associations that make up this group are mainly made up of Forestry associations in which for years have tried to get it allowed so they can haul more weight, mainly because they get paid by the weight that they haul. I’m surprised by the support of this because of so many that are against “clear cutting” of timber for paper. But truthfully this is mainly what these associations that support this do.”

Read more about Hauling More Weight Safer More Fuel Efficient – Says Who on:
Hauling More Weight Safer More Fuel Efficient – Says Who​

 

All shippers will load more product, every road will be affected.

This is the single trailer weight being increased. The bill proposes adding a sixth axle.

 

Trucks have a 97K GVW limit in the UK- no problems- the world has not ended.

Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland all allow 120k .......

We are lightweights in the trucking world.

 

again, is this for a single trailer or multiples? also the law allows the states to set the limits. I would assume high density crappy infrastructure states like NY would keep the lower limits.

One size fits all regulation makes little sense. One has to adjust to the situation locally in cases like this.