The Coalition for Transportation Productivity (CTP), a group of about 200 shippers and allied associations dedicated to responsibly increasing federal vehicle weight limits on interstate highways, launched a digital video campaign to rally support for federal truck weight reform legislation known as the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (SETA), S. 747, H.R. 763. CTP produced the video to educate the transportation community about SETA and about giving states the option to grant interstate access for heavier, single trailer trucks equipped with safer six axles instead of the typical five.
“The Coalition for Transportation Productivity is on a mission to mobilize the transportation industry around SETA,” said CTP Executive Director John Runyan. “Shipping costs are on the rise, and available truck capacity has dropped by 16 percent since 2008. If U.S. shippers expect to emerge from the economic downturn and be competitive in the global marketplace, the entire shipping industry needs to rally around the truck weight reform effort and urge Congress to pass SETA.”
The video highlights results of a recent pilot project in Maine, the experience of major trading partners and the fact that most states already employ higher weight limits on secondary roads but are barred from utilizing more productive trucks on interstate highways engineered for heavier traffic.
About SETA
The U.S. federal weight limit has been set at 80,000 pounds since 1982. SETA gives each state the option to set interstate weight limits of up to 97,000 pounds, but this higher weight limit would only apply to trucks equipped with six axles instead of the typical five. Without making the truck any larger, the additional axle maintains safety specifications—including stopping and handling capabilities and current weight per tire.
