Coalition AGainst Bigger Trucks

1. June 8, 2010 AASHTO SCOHT Annual Meeting Coalition AGainst Bigger Trucks

2. What I’m Not • The “I hate big trucks guy” • Not anti-truck or even anti-big truck • Engineer – pavement, bridge, or other • Railroad spokesperson • Wildcat or Tiger • Indifferent • To industry – shippers or trucking • To your challenge

3. Coalition Against Bigger Trucks • National grassroots non-profit • 100+ campaigns, nearly 20 years • Expected & unexpected allies • Law enforcement & safety groups • Truck drivers & independent owner-operators • AAA clubs • State & local elected officials • Environmental, public interest, & taxpayer groups

4. More Than Maine • 97,000 pounds, 6 axles nationwide at state option (HR 1799) • Pilot programs in Maine and Vermont • 129,000 pound LCVs in Idaho (S. 1059 & S. 398) • 96,000 pound, 6- or 7-axle in Iowa • 88,000 pounds, 5-axle in Florida • LCV resolutions in Colorado, Idaho

5. Issues with TSW Increases • Safety • Infrastructure damage • Pavement • Bridges • Underpayment • Energy & environment

6. Issue: Safety • Longstanding, significant concerns • Rollover • Off-tracking • Braking • Crash severity • Systems effects • Enforcement challenges • TSW increase would raise the bar • Ongoing need for more complete data

7. Issue: Infrastructure Damage • Increased pavement damage • Bridges • Half of NHS bridges >40 years old • 25% of US bridges are deficient • “According to FHWA, it would cost $140 billion in 2006 dollars to immediately repair every bridge that is deficient in the country” (AASHTO, 2008) • Ongoing need for more complete data • LTBP funded by SAFETEA:LU at 1/4 requested amount (and is “long-term”)

8. Bridges & SETA • 2000 DOT Study estimated $50-$63 billion bridge costs for NAFTA scenario • H.R. 1799 includes HVUT increase, but it’s inadequate • At most, HVUT would generate ≈$500 million per year • Posting violation rate as low as 2.5% results in significant loss in reliability (ASCE, 2005) • If posting not strictly enforced, reliability benefits of posting can almost vanish (ASCE, 2001)

9. Issue: Underpayment • Premise: vehicles should pay for the damage attributable to their operations • Federal cost allocation study showed significant heavy truck underpayment

10. Full Cost Recovery ($/mile)

11. Full Cost Recovery ($/gallon)

12. 80K, 5-axle v. 97K, 6-axle ($/mile)

13. 80K, 5-axle v. 97K, 6-axle ($/gallon)

14. Issue: Environment • Bigger trucks use more fuel, emit more pollutants • Bigger trucks don’t mean fewer trucks • ATRI only refers to fully-loaded trucks • ATRI looks mainly at highway operations • ATRI doesn’t contemplate rail diversion

15. Bigger Trucks ≠ Fewer Trucks

16. Rail Diversion • US DOT • 7% loss of car miles • 50% loss in contribution • TTX • 25% of intermodal and carload traffic • Martland • 44% short line merchandise traffic • 17% overall short line traffic

17. Rail Diversion • Montreal, Maine, & Atlantic Railway • Predominantly served forest products industry • Not profitable, filed for abandonment • San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad • CO now allows110K, 7-axle on state roads • 20% of bulk cargo diverted to highways • Brownsville & Rio Grande Int’l Railroad • TX allows heavier trucks between Mexican border and Port of Brownsville • Lost nearly all of southbound traffic

18. SHIPA (H.R. 1618 / S. 779) • Close permitting loopholes • Extend weight freeze to NHS • Extend LCV freeze to NHS • Freeze trailer length at 53 feet • NO ROLLBACKS • Develop a model fine system

19. Federal Legislative Situation • Conflicting stand-alone bills • Unlikely to be addressed outside of reauthorization • Requests to extend pilot projects have been submitted to Appropriations Committees

20. Thank you