U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says he'll fight legislation that would allow longer trailer trucks on the nation's highways.
The Democrat said Wednesday that a provision in the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill would authorize twin 33-foot trailers.
"It's time to pull the emergency brake on this proposal." Schumer says current rules allow for trucks to pull two trailers that are each 28 feet long. "We have a crowded highway system. Our highways are often curvy. We have lots of different mountains and hills, whether it be the Adirondacks or the Catskills or the Alleghenies, and it makes no sense for the feds to overrule us.
Schumer points out that when the length of the cab is factored in, the longer trucks could stretch to 84 feet. "This provision would force New York to allow these 84 trailers on all roads of the highway system."
He adds trucks the size of an eight-story building have no place on highways because they would present a "tremendous" safety risk and place too much weight on bridges and roads.
Kendra Hems with the New York State Motor Truck Association says twin trucks, which currently traverse I-90 and I-87, are some of the safest vehicles on the road. She says new federal regulations would allow shippers to move goods more efficiently around the country. "Switching to 33-foot trailers and allowing some of our carriers to haul additional freight with one truck, it would save over six million trips, eliminate one billion miles driven and reduce carbon emissions by four billion pounds annually. So there's some serious benefits to making the change from an efficiency standpoint. It also really would assist with the industry's driver shortage, which is significant, and really become a crisis as we move into future years by allowing again these companies to utilize one truck, one driver to haul additional freight."
Schumer counters: "Our average trucker in New York State doesn't want it. Because it puts the guy who has his own trailer-tractor at a competitive disadvantage. He can't afford one of these big, huge tractor-trailers and other people can, so our local native New York trucking industry is not for this."
Hems notes her organization contacted Schumer's office to let him know they are in favor of the new federal regulations, which she says would not change the dynamic of the current business model.
Schumer argues allowing larger trucks would likely place a greater strain on existing infrastructure unsuited to withstand heavier trucks on roadways, and put motorists "in harm's way." The Senator promises he will fight to strip the amendment from the bill when it reaches the Senate floor.
