Editor's Column
May 2009 8 TrucKers News D ueling proposals concerning heavier tractor-trailer combos on federal highways were intro-duced in the U.S. House in March, rekindling long-running debates over truck safety, aging infrastruc-ture and growing congestion. What you don't hear in the argu-ments is how this will affect drivers, because ultimately the issue is more about competition than the pros and cons being bantered about. H.R. 1799, or the Safe and Effi-cient Transportation Act of 2009, would allow tractor-trailer combina-tions to weigh up to 97,000 pounds on the National Highway System with the addition of an extra axle on the trailer. The bill is endorsed by the American Trucking Associations and shipper organizations. Introduced prior to the above bill, which did not amend trailer lengths, H.R. 1618, or the Safe High-ways and Infrastructure Preservation Act, would limit trailer length on the National Highway System and extend those limits to other roads as well. It would prevent states from enacting new laws to allow trailers longer than 53 feet. Tractor-trailer maximum weight would remain at the current 80,000-pound limit. It has the support of the Truckload Car-riers Association, the Owner-Opera-tor Independent Drivers Association and so-called safety advocates. H.R. 1799 would increase effi-ciency and reduce emissions, conges-tion, truck crashes and road mainte-nance, according to its supporters. Those who support the status quo bill argue that increasing the weight capacity of tractor-trailers would com-promise safety and have a negative effect on the nation's infrastructure. Theoretically, increasing weight (and/or length) could improve effi-ciency and congestion if you reduce the number of trucks needed to carry freight. But that also would mean the need for fewer drivers. (Of course, this scenario involves dense freight. It is not taking into account a large amount of shipped freight that cubes out before it maxes out in weight.) On the safety and infrastructure arguments, both sides present differ-ent viewpoints. The extra axle means two more brakes, ATA said in a press release, preventing an increase in stopping distances, and avoids additional pavement damage. Stability, mobility and maneuver-ability are substantially reduced on bigger and heavier trucks, claims OOIDA. The organization, which represents owner-operators, also counters that heavier trucks put more stress on highways and bridges. The bottom line: Increasing the weight of trucks would have positive benefits for carriers that can afford equipment upgrades. But struggling carriers or those without the means to upgrade could be at a disadvantage because of the downward pressure by shippers to haul more weight. And for drivers, there doesn't seem to be an upside. If weight lim-its increase, there is no guarantee that drivers will see more money. That's because most drivers are paid by the mile, making freight weight a moot issue. What is guaranteed is more stress for the driver, who has the greater liability hauling heavier loads. For that reason alone, the driver should be compensated at a higher rate. For a regulation change that could impact many drivers, ironi-cally, their role hasn't been given much weight in the matter. Weighty Issue Bigger tractor-trailers may have some advantages, but what's in it for you? ediTor's jourNal ranDy griDer No doubt you've noticed this issue of looks and feels different. We've adopted a new size and redesigned our editorial departments. Our goal is to give readers more, not less. We've added several new features. First, we've brought back How to Become an Owner-Operator. This feature will help educate company drivers on taking the proper steps to become successful independent contractors. Sec-ond, we've created Buyer's Guide. In addition to covering new products, with this sec-tion we'll highlight a specific product category. Also, we are providing more in-depth and analytical news coverage of industry issues that affect truck drivers. Some of our regular depart-ments, including Big Rig Basics and Smart Driving , have been revamped. Big Rig Basics is now more visual to help the reader understand basic how-to maintenance and repairs. Smart Driving offers more practical driver application information for newbies, as well as a refresher course for veteran drivers. Reader involvement has always been an important part of our magazine. Our Feed-back page now includes more than letters to the editor with the addition of polls and truckers' views on news and lifestyle issues. Tweeters can turn to 's Twitter page (see Sound Off infobox on this page) to send us quick responses to something they've read in our magazine. Realizing many drivers are computer gurus, we've created special web content including editors' blogs, exclusive stories and ' Flickr site, where truck-ers upload images of their trucks and scenes from the road. You can find a complete listing of these features on our Online TOC page. We hope you like the new look and our many additions. We'll be waiting to hear back from you soon. Truckers News GeTs New looK, More FeaTures Randy Grider is editor of . He is the son of a career trucker and holds a CDL. He blogs regularly at . Write him at . May 2009 8 TrucKers News