American Trucking Associations and the Association of American Railroads jointly urged the House of Representatives to approve a proposed highway funding bill, while avoiding attempts to change truck size-and-weight limits provisions contained in the bill.
ATA President Bill Graves and AAR President Edward Hamberger asked House members “to oppose any floor amendments” to the version of the bill that was approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee earlier this month but later failed in a vote by the panel.
In a joint statement, Graves and Hamberger said “the long-term reauthorization of our nation’s critical surface transportation programs is necessary and long overdue” and that passage of the bill “is an important step in the process of reaching an agreement of a long-term, fully funded surface transportation bill.”
The House had considered a proposal for trucks to run as high as 97,000 pounds, up from the current limit of 80,000 pounds, an idea that was supported by trucking and some shippers’ groups, but opposed by railroads.
ATA spokesman Sean McNally said the group was “disappointed we weren’t able to see more productivity gains” in the bill, but hopeful the joint agreement would “get us one step closer to passage” of a final bill.
