The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has released a series of technical reports on truck size and weight for peer review and public comment as a step toward the completion of the comprehensive study required in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).
MAP-21 directed USDOT to study the issues associated with trucks operating within and in excess of current size and weight limits and assess the impacts on safety, pavement and bridge deterioration, enforcement and shifts to other modes of transport, such as rail.
“While pointing to significant data limitations to complete a comprehensive study, the technical reports provide an opportunity for experts in the field to comment in anticipation of the final report to Congress. Importantly, [USDOT] finds that the data limitations are so profound that no changes in the relevant laws and regulations should be considered until these limitations are overcome,” the USDOT posted in its News Digest on June 5.
USDOT will meet with an independent peer review team managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and seek public comment as it works to develop the Final Report to Congress.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), a member of the House Rules Committee, said, “I’ve been eagerly awaiting this comprehensive study on truck size and weight required by MAP-21 because this will help us to put Americans’ safety first. Today’s study shows that we simply don’t have enough reliable data to fully understand the economic and safety impact of big trucks on our roads and bridges...we have to accept the fact that without the data we need, it is irresponsible to allow bigger and heavier trucks on our highways.”
In a release from the Truck Safety Coalition, Railway Supply Institute President Tom Simpson said, “RSI is pleased to see that USDOT has released its technical reports on the long awaited Truck Size and Weight study. While we are still reviewing the report(s), we hope that the current data limitations referenced by DOT is taken seriously by Congress and that our nation’s safety and infrastructure are not further compromised by legislation which provides for heavier or longer trucks.”
Rep. Lou Barletta, (R-Pa.) has long argued that any study undertaken should include an examination of the impact of larger and heavier trucks on local roads and bridges, rather than just interstates and primary roads. “As a former mayor, I know first-hand how much of a toll trucks take on roads and bridges and the impact that has on budgets that are already strapped,” he said. “The fact that there wasn’t enough information to make a recommendation after a study to increase truck size and weight limit is good news for every city, town and county.”