The Coalition for Transportation
Productivity
Making Roads Safer, Protecting the Environment
and Strengthening the Economy Through Vehicle Weight Limit Reform
Presented to
American Association of State and Highway
Transportation Officials
June 8, 2010
The Challenge
 The need to reduce VMTs is a safety
imperative
 Diesel fuel price spikes will return
with growing economy
 Congestion has tripled since 1982
 Truck emissions standards and other
rules continue to tighten
 Driver shortage will continue to be a
factor in years ahead
2
The Challenge
The U.S. DOT estimates that by 2020, the
amount of freight shipped throughout the
U.S. will increase 87 percent from what it
was in 2000.
2000
2020
3
CTP Proposal – The Safe and Efficient
Transportation Act -- H.R. 1799
 Gives each state the right to allow 97,000
pound, six-axle single trailer trucks to access
interstate highways
 Sixth axle maintains weight per axle, tire
displacement and braking distance
 Higher Heavy Vehicle Use Tax would be
required to carry the heavier load
 States or DOT Secretary could limit access
on bridge by bridge basis
4
Improved Safety
Academic studies and empirical evidence have
shown that raising the weight limit to 97,000
pounds for six-axle trucks would improve
highway safety.
5
Improved Safety
 Wisconsin DOT Study – 2009
 Univ. of Mich. TRI Study – 2009
 European Union Study -- 2008
 UK Analysis – 2006
 TRB Review – 2002
 …and many others
6
Cleaner Environment
Vehicle weight limit reform would benefit
the environment by requiring fewer trucks to
ship a fixed amount of goods,
saving fuel and reducing greenhouse
emissions.
7
Cleaner Environment
 Six-axle trucks carrying 97,000 pounds get 17
percent more ton-miles per gallon than five-axle
trucks carrying 80,000 pounds
 The U.S. DOT estimates that H.R. 1799 would
save 2 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, a 19
percent decrease in fuel consumption
 Kraft Foods would save 6.6 million gallons of fuel
and eliminate 73,000 tons of carbon emissions.
 International Paper’s annual fuel savings would be
equal to the amount needed by one truck to
circle the earth 600 times.
8
Stronger Economy
Raising vehicle weight limits will help U.S.
businesses improve their competitive edge.
9
Stronger Economy
 The U.S. gross vehicle weight limits are lower than
Canada, Mexico and most European nations.
 Harmonizing weight limits with our major trading
partners will ease the cost of moving U.S. goods into
international markets and avoid costly freight
consolidation at our ports and border crossings.
 Raising the weight limit would allow American
producers to consolidate goods and reduce the
number of weekly shipments.
 H.R. 1799 will spur investment in upgraded
equipment, create jobs and transition the U.S. to a
more efficient transportation network.
10
Improved Infrastructure
The user fee for 97,000-pound, six-axle trucks
will fund accelerated bridge repair and
maintenance, while these trucks will collectively
inflict less wear on our nation’s roads.
11
Improved Infrastructure
 The sixth axle ensures that no additional weight
per tire results from the higher weight limits.
 H.R. 1799 would cut the number of trucks on
the road—saving $2.4 billion in pavement
restoration costs over 20 years.
 Fewer trucks would satisfy America’s shipping
needs, putting less overall weight on any given
stretch of pavement while directing higher user
fees toward bridge repair and maintenance.
12
Charges by Opponents
 Heavier trucks are less safe
 Only if you don’t add additional axle and brakes
 Allowing Heavier Trucks Won’t Result in
Fewer Trucks in 20 years
 Truck growth will continue, but allowing our
configuration would slow the rate of growth
 H.R. 1799 would put bridges at risk
 Our bill puts states in full control of implementation
with DOT Secy. as backstop
 This would divert rail traffic onto the highway
 Rail will remain more cost efficient, but it doesn’t go
everywhere
13
About Us
The Coalition for Transportation
Productivity (CTP) is a group of more than 155
companies and associations dedicated to safety and
responsibly increasing the vehicle weight limit on
federal interstate highways—but only for trucks
equipped with an additional sixth axle.
John Runyan, Executive Director CTP
John@runyanpa.com
www.transportationproductivity.org
Supporting Associations
American Frozen Food Institute
Agricultural Transportation Efficiency Coalition
(AgTEC)
Alabama Forestry Association
American Forest & Paper Association
American Soybean Association
Black Hills Forest Resource Association
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW)
Colorado Potato Administrative Committee
Colorado Timber Industry Association
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Florida Forestry Association
Florida Pulp & Paper Association
Fresh Produce Association
Food Marketing Institute
Forest Resources Association
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Hardwood Federation
Idaho Grower Shippers Association
Idaho Potato Commission
Intermountain Forest Association
International Foodservice Distributors
Association
International Dairy Foods Association
Kentucky Forest Industries Association
Louisiana Forestry Association
Maine Pulp and Paper Association
Manufacture Alabama
Michigan Forest Products Council
Mississippi Forestry Association
Mississippi Loggers Association
Missouri Forest Products Association
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Black Chamber of Commerce
National Confectioners Association
National Industrial Transportation League (NITLeague)
National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Potato Council
National Private Truck Council
National Taxpayers Union
Northeastern Loggers Association
North Carolina Forestry Association
Northwest Food Processors Association
Ohio Forestry Association
Oregon Potato Commission
Paper and Forest Industry Transportation Committee
Shelf-Stable Food Processors Association
Snack Food Association
United Fresh Produce Association
Virginia Forest Products Association
Washington State Potato Commission
Western Growers
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
Wisconsin Paper Council
Supporting Companies
A&M Transport
AbitibiBowater
Air Products
Anthony Forest Products
Archer Daniel Midland(ADM)
Ball Brothers Produce
Basic American Foods
Bear Trucking, Inc.
Boise Cascade LLC
Boise Inc.
Campbell Soup Company
Central Refrigerated Service
Challenger Motor Freight
Claremont Forest Inc.
Coca-Cola Company
Columbia Forest Products
Con-way
Dannon
Dean Foods
Deere & Company
Delta Timber Company
Domtar
Evergreen Packaging
Flambeau River Papers
Fleetmaster Express
Floyd Wilcox & Sons, Inc. (Wilcox
Marketing Group)
FMC Corporation
Fuel Transport US, Inc.
General Mills, Inc.
Georgia Pacific
Glatfelter
GPOD of Idaho
Green Bay Packaging
H-E-B
Home Depot
Houg Special Services
Idaho Forest Group
Idahoan Foods
International Paper
ITS Logistics
Kraft Foods, Inc
Larsen Farms
Longview Fibre Paper and Pkg
LP Corp.
LyondellBasell Industries
Manuel Huerta Trucking
Mennel Milling Company
MillerCoors
Millis Transfer
Modern Transportation Services
MWV
National Frozen Foods Corp
Neiman Enterprises, Inc.
Nestlé USA
Nestlé Waters North America
Newark Group
NewPage
Oldcastle Architectural, Inc.
Oregon Transfer Company
Philadelphia Regional Port Authority
Piggyback Consolidators
Plum Creek
Potandon Produce
Raven Transport Co.
Rayonier
RPM Consolidated Services, Inc.
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.
Safe Handling Inc.
Safeway, Inc.
Schwan Food Company
Simplot
Smurfit Stone Container Corp
Sun Glo of Idaho, Inc.
Sunny D
SuperValu Inc.
Taylor Produce, Inc.
Temple-Inland
Thomas and Sons, Inc.
Total Transportation Services
Transportation Management
Solutions
TranzAct Technologies
Tyson Foods
US Foodservice/Alliant Logistics
US Xpress
Verso Paper
Wada Farms
Werner Enterprises
Weyerhaeuser