The Chamber:

• supports the proposed "Distracted Driving" bill
• is against tolls on Interstate 80
• supports the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway Project
• supports Heritage Aviation's Penn Valley Airport
• is against the Employee Free Choice Act
• is against the proposed Safe & Efficient Transportation Act of 2011
• supports raising the mandatory school attendance age

Safe & Efficient Transportation Opposition Letter

March 16, 2011

Dear Representative Marino,

On February 17, 2011, a bill entitled the “Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2011” was introduced by Representatives Michael Michaud (ME-2) and Jean Schmidt (OH-2). H.R. 763 calls for the allowable increase of truck weights from 80,000 to 97,000 pounds for the entire Interstate System. This represents a twenty-one percent (21%) increase. The supporters of this bill argue that the increase in weight allowances will decrease the number of trucks on U.S. highways. However, this is the same verbiage used in 1982 when the gross weight increased from 73,280 to 80,000 pounds and our country has only seen an increase in the number of trucks and truck miles driven. The point did not ring true in 1982 and it still doesn’t in 2011.

In addition to the fact the number of trucks on the road will not decrease, the heavier trucks pose a safety concern for the others occupying the road as well as for the truck drivers themselves. There are four major factors that contribute to safety: equipment wear, rollover, steering difficulty and speed differential.
- When weight is added to a truck, it is more likely the components will wear out quicker. Defective equipment is at greater risk to be involved in a serious accident.
- Heavier loads also tend to have a higher center of gravity as the weight is stacked vertically. This higher center gravity increases the risk of a rollover.
- Heavier singles have an extra axle which decreases the maneuverability of the truck. The result is additional pressure on the steering axle and increases the risk of skidding, thus making emergency maneuvers more difficult.
- The heavier trucks have poor power to weight ratios which cause slower acceleration and make sustaining speed on upgrades very difficult thus increasing the risk for an accident.

On the economic front, this bill does not provide for any economic benefits for our nation as a whole. The extra wear and tear caused by heavier trucks and the cost to maintain and repair the Interstate Highway System will never be totally borne by the trucking industry. The Highway System will always draw the losing hand. This is an extra burden on the tax dollars provided by the constituents of the 10th District, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the entire nation that cannot be condoned or sustained. The DOT’s of the nation are already operating on very tight budgets with the current weight limits. The proposed increase will only cause for funds to be shifted away from other projects in order to maintain the infrastructure and repair the damage caused by the heavier loads.

As the question of transportation and its infrastructure in this nation continues to be debated, the answer does not lie in heavier trucks but in other modes of transportation that were designed to support the heavy loads to move goods across our country. To this end, the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce urges you to not to support H.R. 763.

Sincerely,

Charlie Ross

President/CEO

GSVCC