TT_070119_AllPages

8 • July 1-14, 2019 Nation
S.H.I.P. advocates for heavier trucks
in states that opt-in to pilot program
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
WASHINGTON — The Safer Hauling and
Infrastructure Planning (S.H.I.P.) Coalition,
through the testimony of coalition member Pepsi-
Co, carried its message advocating an increase in
gross vehicle weight to the House Highways and
Transit Subcommittee hearing “Under Pressure:
The State of Trucking in America” held June 12.
“While PepsiCo is proud of our ability to innovate
around the current challenges facing our
trucking fleet, we believe more can be done to
advance safety, reduce emissions, and protect
infrastructure,” Rodney Noble, senior director
of transportation global procurement at PepsiCo,
told the committee. “But we are constrained by
antiquated federal laws.”
Noble is responsible for strategy development
and capacity procurement for all modes of
purchased transportation/freight, as well as North
America Fleet procurement.
The S.H.I.P. Coalition is advocating for the
increase in gross vehicle weight (GVW) limits
on the federal interstate highways in 10 states
that opt-in to the pilot program.
S.H.I.P. said a logical first step is to create a
voluntary pilot program — and in recent years
there have been truck weight pilot programs in
Maine, Vermont, Arizona, Idaho and elsewhere
— to allow a limited number of states to opt-in
and modernize the federal weight limit to 91,000
lbs. on the Interstate System within their borders.
States in the pilot would gather safety data on the
operation of those modern trucks.
“Increasing the weight limit will not mean
longer, higher or wider trucks, just more productive
trucks,” S.H.I.P. said. “Standardsized trucks
Courtesy: IOWA 80
One of the highlights of the Walcott Truckers Jamboree is the fireworks display, which traditionally
draws hundreds of onlookers.
will be fitted with a sixth axle that allows them to
safely carry more because of an additional braking
mechanism and better weight dispersal.
S.H.I.P. said GVW laws have not been updated
since 1982 despite major advancement in
vehicle safety and paving technology.
Thirty states already allow trucks above
80,000 pounds on portions of their federal interstate
highways in some capacity, and their communities
are safer because of it, Noble said.
Bringing trucking into the 21st century will
make roads safer for families, minimize congestion
on state and local roads, and reduce infrastructure
costs, saving taxpayer dollars, he said.
“USDOT has said they don’t have enough information
to know the impact of increased truck
weight with a sixth-axle on our roads, which is
why I have joined with many of my colleagues
and asked for Congress to authorize a pilot program
so we can get that information,” Rep. Mike
Gallagher, R-Wis., said during the hearing.
The S.H.I.P. Coalition is a joint effort of more
than 80 manufacturers, agribusinesses, retailers,
and trade associations who are looking for safe
and smart solutions to address the challenges that
have long plagued our nation’s freight network.
“Our diverse membership is working hard
to educate policymakers on a pilot program that
will allow a limited number of states to voluntarily
opt-in as means to study the benefits of the
modern, six-axle, bridge formula compliant truck
configuration that is already allowed on many
state roads,” said Sean Joyce, executive director
of the S.H.I.P. Coalition..
S.H.I.P. listed two points in its presentation.
• Increasing the federal GVW limit on six axles
will not only make the trucks more efficient,
it will also make them safer. A 10-year pilot in
Idaho found there was no heightened safety risk
with increased weights, and the U.S. Department
of Transportation concluded that six-axle
trucks had better braking. Likewise, a report on
a 20-year pilot program in Maine attributed a
70-year low in road fatalities to increased truck
weights.
• The Minnesota Department of Transportation
found that the addition of a sixth axle created
a 37% reduction in road wear and an overall
reduction in the number of trips needed to transport
products. Modern trucks are also federal
bridge formula compliant.
Some members of the S.H.I.P. Coalition
include Anheuser-Busch, International Paper,
Tyson Foods, the American Chemistry Council,
the Agriculture Transportation Coalition,
Thetrucker.com
Courtesy: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thirty states already allow trucks above 80,000 pounds on portions of their federal interstate
highways in some capacity, and their communities are safer because of it, said Rodney Noble,
senior director of transportation global procurement at PepsiCo.
THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES
WALCOTT, Iowa — It’s summertime and
for the professional truck driver that means one
thing.
It’s time to head to Walcott, Iowa, for the
Walcott Truckers Jamboree hosted at the Iowa
80 Truckstop located on I-80, Exit 284.
This year’s jamboree is scheduled for July
11-13. Iowa 80 says the event provides a great
place to celebrate and learn about trucking and
those big rigs.
“It’s our way of saying thank you to the millions
of truck drivers that deliver the goods we
consume, whether it’s groceries, gas, clothes or
cars — you can bet it was delivered by a truck,”
Iowa 80 said in its online promotional material.
The 40th version of the jamboree features
all the traditional events, including an antique
truck display, Super Trucks Beauty Contest,
over 150 exhibits, the Iowa Pork Chop Cookout,
carnival games, live country music, the
Trucker Olympics and a fireworks display.
Coming back this year are the Pet Contest
on Friday and a Donut Wall (in lieu of cake)
and PepsiCo, among others. The S.H.I.P. Coalition
is advocating for creating a safer and
more environmentally friendly trucking system
by modernizing GVW limits. Joyce said the
coalition is calling on Congress to create a pilot
program so states can voluntarily collect safety
data on the potential benefits of modernizing
truck weights.
S.H.I.P. advocates for a modern, six-axle,
91,000-pound truck configuration.
In 2016, a U.S. Department of Transportation
Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight
Limit Study found many advantages for this
configuration, including faster braking, a
$358-million reduction in annual congestion
costs, a 1.2 billion-mile reduction in annual
vehicle miles traveled on U.S. roads, and a 2.4
billion-pound reduction in annual carbon dioxide
emissions, Joyce said. 8
40th annual Walcott Truckers Jamboree
scheduled for July 11-13 at Iowa 80 stop
on Saturday in the Super Truck Showroom at
9 a.m.
Admission and parking are free.
Musical acts include the Davisson Brothers
Band on Thursday, July 11 at 7 p.m.; Sawyer
Brown at 7 p.m. Friday, July 12; and The Kentucky
Headhunters at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 13.
Lindsay Lawler and Natalie Stovall will open
for Sawyer Brown beginning at 5 p.m., Friday,
July 12.
“We love that we have a large area to continue
to hold outdoor concerts. The Walcott Truckers
Jamboree truly is a great part of summer and
the very best way to celebrate America’s truckers”,
says Heather DeBaillie, marketing manager.
“All three concerts will be high energy and lots of
fun. This line up is not to be missed.”
Of special interest to Jamboree attendees
in recent years has been the Iowa 80 Trucking
Museum. The museum is celebrating two
100-year-old trucks: a 1919 International and a
1919 Pierce Arrow with a birthday party at 2:30
p.m. on July 12. For more information, visit
truckersjamboree.com. 8