ATA’s Graves slams DOT truck productivity report

June 9, 2015

American Trucking Associations President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Graves lambasted the US Department of Transportation for releasing a long overdue study on the potential impacts of changing truck size and weight limits that DOT officials had said should not be used as a basis for policy.

“Given the timing of the release of this study, it is an obvious attempt to promote administration policy, rather than give Congress the unbiased information it requested,” Graves said. “It is appalling that after years of saying the study would not make recommendations, DOT officials would release this report--and recommend no change in current law--just days after the White House came out opposing truck productivity increases.

“Our experience as an industry, as seen by the safe and efficient use of twin 33-foot trailers in the states of Florida and North Dakota, shows the obvious benefits of this configuration. As flimsy as this report is, it at least acknowledges these more productive combinations will improve efficiency, saving American consumers billions of dollars.

We will continue reviewing DOT’s report to see how it arrived at conclusions that are so different from our industry’s experience and previous research in this area, including the Transportation Research Board’s 2002 investigation, which recommended nationwide operation of 33-foot double trailers.”