june 8, 2010 aashto scoht annual meeting. what i’m not the “i hate big trucks guy” not...

COALITION AGAINST BIGGER

TRUCKS

June 8, 2010

AASHTO SCOHT Annual Meeting

What I’m NotWhat 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 truckingTo your challenge

Coalition Against Bigger TrucksCoalition Against Bigger Trucks

National grassroots non-profit 100+ campaigns, nearly 20 years Expected & unexpected allies

Law enforcement & safety groupsTruck drivers & independent owner-operatorsAAA clubsState & local elected officialsEnvironmental, public interest, & taxpayer

groups

More Than MaineMore 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

Issues with TSW IncreasesIssues with TSW Increases

Safety Infrastructure damage

PavementBridges

Underpayment Energy & environment

Issue: SafetyIssue: Safety

Longstanding, significant concernsRolloverOff-trackingBrakingCrash severitySystems effects

Enforcement challengesTSW increase would raise the bar

Ongoing need for more complete data

Issue: Infrastructure DamageIssue: Infrastructure Damage

Increased pavement damage Bridges

Half of NHS bridges >40 years old25% 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”)

Bridges & SETABridges & SETA 2000 DOT Study estimated $50-$63 billion

bridge costs for NAFTA scenario H.R. 1799 includes HVUT increase, but it’s

inadequateAt 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)

Issue: UnderpaymentIssue: Underpayment

Premise: vehicles should pay for the damage attributable to their operations

Federal cost allocation study showed significant heavy truck underpayment

Full Cost Recovery ($/mile)Full Cost Recovery ($/mile)

Full Cost Recovery ($/gallon)Full Cost Recovery ($/gallon)

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

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

Issue: EnvironmentIssue: Environment

Bigger trucks use more fuel, emit more pollutants

Bigger trucks don’t mean fewer trucksATRI only refers to fully-loaded trucksATRI looks mainly at highway operations ATRI doesn’t contemplate rail diversion

Bigger Trucks ≠ Fewer TrucksBigger Trucks ≠ Fewer Trucks

Rail DiversionRail Diversion

US DOT7% loss of car miles50% loss in contribution

TTX25% of intermodal and carload traffic

Martland44% short line merchandise traffic17% overall short line traffic

Rail DiversionRail 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 roads20% of bulk cargo diverted to highways

Brownsville & Rio Grande Int’l RailroadTX allows heavier trucks between Mexican

border and Port of BrownsvilleLost nearly all of southbound traffic

SHIPA (H.R. 1618 / S. 779)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

Federal Legislative SituationFederal Legislative Situation

Conflicting stand-alone bills Unlikely to be addressed outside of

reauthorization Requests to extend pilot projects have

been submitted to Appropriations Committees

Thank you