The U.S. House of Representatives, which I have grown fond of calling “The Society for Attaching Things to Other Things,” is scheduled to consider the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (a.k.a. the “Highway Bill”), H.R. 3763, and it has roughly three weeks to do something with it before H.R. 3819, the temporary extension for transportation funding, expires on Nov. 20.
That “something,” if Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wisc.) gets his way, is an amendment that would increase federal limits on truck weights from 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds. Wisconsin, by the way, is the same state that foisted Tea Party Gov. Scott “I don’t want your damn passenger train money” Walker upon us.
Ribble’s (pictured, indicating how much he wants to jack up the limit) troubling trucker tweak is Amendment No. 29, a.k.a the “Pavement Pulverizing Attachment of 2015.” Increasing truck size and weight to 91,000 pounds—a jump of almost 14% from the current maximum—will “further stress the nation’s roads and bridges and increase dangers on the highway,” the Railway Supply Institute warns. “Motorists will pay with their lives. Heavier weights at high speeds mean more severe collisions, translating into more severe injuries and more fatalities. Most important, U.S. railcar fleets would face a devastating impact if truck size or weight increases are permitted by federal law. This is a very serious threat.”
What can you, the railroader or railroad supplier, do about this? Plenty. It’s as simple as calling your Member of Congress and urging him or her to oppose the Ribble No. 29 amendment to H.R. 3763t. The RSI has made it easy by supplying talking points as well as a link to identify your Member of Congress:
http://www.house.gov/representatives
Once you get a Congressional staffer on the phone, here’s what RSI recommends you do:
• Inform the staff that you are a constituent and work for (name of your company). They will likely ask for your address to confirm you are a constituent.
• Inform the staff that you are calling to express your opposition to Ribble Amendment No. 29 to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act, which would increase truck size and weight.
• Inform the staff that you are opposed to these increases for any of the following reasons:
1. Bigger trucks would harm the rail industry and threaten my job security. The company I work for is a vendor to the railroads.
2. Bigger trucks are more prone to accidents and much more dangerous, and I do not want my family sharing the road with these more-hazardous vehicles.
3. We have potholes in our roads, and more than 4,000 of our bridges are rated as deficient. Adding weight and length to trucks makes our infrastructure problems worse. Where is the money going to come from to fix these problems?
4. Big rigs are already subsidized by taxpayers. Making them even bigger means that all of us, the taxpayers, will have to pay even more dollars of subsidy for the trucking industry. That is a not good use of my taxes.
5. Finally, Thank the staff for their time. Remind them that you want the Member to VOTE NO on Ribble Amendment No. 29 to H.R. 3763, the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act.
You have your marching orders. It’s all here in black and white. No excuses. Pick up the phone and call.