Regulation of Weights, Lengths, and Widths of Commercial Motor Vehicles Special Report 267 (2002) / Chapter Skim
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1. Introduction
1. Introduction
Pages 13-37
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From page 13... ...
These regulations have important economic consequences because trucking accounts for four-fifths of expenditures on freight transportation in the United States, and trucking costs are influenced by truck size and weight. Size and weight limits also influence highway construction and maintenance costs and highway accident losses.
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From page 14... ...
It is necessary also to distinguish the function of federal regulations from that of size and weight regulations imposed by state and local government. Regulations Today Motor vehicle size and weight regulations are among the most important factors determining road and bridge design and maintenance requirements and the cost of truck freight transportation.
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bridge formula on the 46,000-mi Interstate highway system, as well as on a network of major roacis that inclucles the Interstates anc! about 160,000 mi of other roacis; dictates minimum trailer length anc!
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From page 16... ...
on Interstate highways States cannot impose lower weight limits than the federal limits on Interstate highways. · The width of vehicles Federal law requires states to allow vehicles 102 in.
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From page 17... ...
State regulations apply on roads where federal limits do not, and grandfather and permit operations of vehicles exceeding statutory limits are common. Many large trucks normally operate with dimensions below the limits (e.g., carriers specializing in commodities of low average density operate below the gross weight limit)
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From page 18... ...
Appropriate Goals The historical record does not supply a full definition of the intended function of motor vehicle size and weight regulations. It would not be inconsistent with the history of their development, however, to define their function as providing a mechanism to balance the potential public costs of truck travel wear on public infrastructure, accident risk, and congestion against the benefits of lower shipper and carrier costs for freight transportation.
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From page 19... ...
The ICC concluded first, regarding the powers of Congress and the possible rationales for action: that Congress has plenary power to remove unreasonable obstructions to interstate commerce. If State regulations governing sizes and weights of motor vehicles operate in fact to burden or obstruct interstate commerce unreasonably, Congress may enact legislation designed to secure uniformity or in other respects to protect the national interest in the commerce....
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From page 20... ...
. there is need for Federal regulation of the sizes and weight of motor vehicles....
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From page 21... ...
and the recent DOT Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study (DOT 2000) indicate that imposing nationwide uniform limits more restrictive than those previously in effect in many states would increase shipper costs by an amount greater than any compensating savings in highway operating costs.
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From page 22... ...
Thus, the situation today is that substantial economic benefits could be gained through use of larger trucks, but chronic funding shortages in state highway maintenance programs and fears of the hazards of larger trucks stand in the way of gaining these benefits. In the decade since this report was issued, many conditions have changed: state highway programs have received substantial funding increases; pavement and bridge design methods have advanced, and new technology for enforcing highway regulations and collecting user fees is increasingly available; technology has improved vehicle performance; and the freight and logistics sectors have experienced important technological advances and productivity gains.
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From page 23... ...
shippers' clemancis as they affect vehicle size and weight requirements. Shippers have always sought lower freight rates, which can be attainer!
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From page 24... ...
An additional trend in demand that has affected size and weight requirements is the growth of international trade, which has highlighted the problems of differences in size and weight limits among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as differences among the United States, Europe, and Asia in practical intermodal container weights. The result of all these developments in roads, vehicles, and management practices has been improved efficiency of freight transportation, which has benefited the public economically.
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From page 25... ...
Moreover, no change in federal size and weight regulations has been subjected to a thorough follow-up evaluation to observe how the change in law actually affected truck traffic and highway costs. Recently, focal exemptions to federal limits (described in the next section)
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From page 26... ...
However, they represent a cumbersome and potentially arbitrary approach to addressing federal regulatory issues. Western States' LCV Proposal In 1999, after a draft of the DOT Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Study (DOT 2000)
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From page 27... ...
The states might be more satisfied with an approach to the review of federal size and weight regulations that was more open to them and that focused on the practical size and weight issues they confront. Although the history of size and weight regulation shows that demands continually arise to adapt the regulations to changing external circumstances, there is no established mechanism at the federal level for responding to such demands with timely evaluation.
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A ruling of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) allows states to issue permits for containers in international commerce as if they were nondivisible loads (DOT 2000, ITI-13-~-14~.
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A broad range of possibilities for the form of revised federal regulations has been proposed by past studies, private-sector groups, states, and others. The options can be organized into three categories: · Policies within the existing framework and precedents of federal truck size and weight regulation.
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From page 30... ...
However, existing data and models are inadequate for predicting some of the important conceivable effects of these kinds of policy changes. · Options in addition to changing the size and weight regulations that would achieve the same underlying goal of controlling the costs of truck traffic while allowing for efficient freight transportation.
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From page 31... ...
· Uniformity extension of federal weight limits now applicable on Interstates to all roads on the 200,000-mi federally defined National Network; elimination of grandfather provisions · North American trade heavier vehicles with added axles (six-axIe tractor-semitrailer, four-axIe truck, eight-axIe double 33-ft trailer combination) on the National Network · Longer combination vehicles nationwide long doubleand triple-trailer combinations on restricted networks with staging areas; eight-axIe double 33-ft trailer combinations on the National Network and access routes · H.R.551 elimination of trailers over 53 ft on Interstates and some other federal-aid roads; freezing of grandfather rights; freezing of state weight limits (including permits)
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From page 32... ...
· Performance standards defined as the basis for certification of operator-proposed vehicles · Reform of federal user fees to align them closely with costs occasioned, coupled with optimal pavement design; e.g., Road Work (Small, Winston, and Evans 1989) proposal · Devolution of regulatory responsibilities to the states Options in addition to changing the size and weight regulations that would achieve the underlying goal of controlling the costs of truck traffic while allowing for efficient freight transportation · Improved enforcement of size and weight limits and safety regulations · Improved bridge management targeted at reducing the effect of trucks on bridge construction, maintenance, and replacement costs and on the risk of bridge failure · Changes in pavement design practices · Exclusive truck routes or lanes Note: The above list is not exhaustive, but rather indicates the range of possible changes.
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From page 33... ...
The vofume and characteristics of truck traffic on particular roads may affect highway users' route selections, times of travel, and frequency of trips. Regardless of how important these comfort and convenience impacts may be, however, it is possible that incremental changes to federal size and weight regulations would have little effect on their magnitude.
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From page 34... ...
Engineering and economic models are then used to predict the consequent changes in pavement and bridge construction and maintenance costs, frequency of highway accidents, congestion, freight transportation costs, and pollution. Past studies have tended to reach similar conclusions: that incremental increases in allowable truck size can produce substantial net benefits.
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From page 35... ...
A review of techniques for improving enforcement of truck regulations is included. The committee's conclusions and recommendations on needed changes in federal size and weight regulations are given in Chapter 5.
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From page 36... ...
REFERENCES Abbreviations AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics BPR Bureau of Public Roads DOT U.S. Department of Transportation FHWA Federal Highway Administration GAO General Accounting Office ICC Interstate Commerce Commission LTSS North American Free Trade Agreement Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee TRB Transportation Research Board AASHTO.
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From page 37... ...
1941. Federal Regulation of the Sizes and Weight of Motor Vehicles; Letter from the Chairman, Interstate Commerce Commission.
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