“Christmas came early for the trucking industry.” — New York Representative Nita Lowey
A $55.3 billion transportation bill proposed last week contains provisions that will block several truck safety initiatives opposed by the trucking industry. Tucked away in the bill is a provision that would allow tandem trailers to reach 33 feet in length. At present, Florida and South Dakota are the only states that allow tandem trailers to reach that size—the other 48 states only allow tandem trailers to reach 28 feet in length.
Safety advocates say that longer (and heavier) trucks will be more difficult for truck drivers to control and stop, and that the changes will come at a time when truck-related deaths deaths are on the rise.
In addition to having larger trailers on the road, another provision would do away with a proposed measure that would require trucking companies to carry higher insurance coverage, something that safety advocates have been trying to change for years. According to the Insurance Journal, insurance premiums for trucking companies haven’t changed since the 1980’s. The Trucking Alliance, one of the larger truck industry groups, studied the issue and found that current insurance minimums do not cover 42 percent of truck crashes (the group supports increasing higher limits).
Another rider added to the bill would make it difficult to pass more stringent hours-of-service requirements for truck drivers. Fatigue is a contributing factor in between 30 and 40 percent of truck crashes, according to the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety. If truck drivers are allowed behind the wheel for more hours with less rest, it stands to reason that this statistic will also increase.
The trucking industry spent nearly $17 million last year on political donations and lobbying Congress, giving it a formidable presence in D.C. The tactical play of injecting these provisions in the must-pass transportation bill means that they will not be subjected to normal congressional vetting and are more likely to become law. According to TribLive, there hasn’t been a single congressional hearing on any of the proposed provisions.
Looks like it’s true what they say—money talks.