Amendment Freezes Truck Length and Weight

A Senate transportation committee passed a six-year highway reauthorization bill, which included an amendment freezing current motor vehicle lengths and removing state authority to set tractor-trailer length standards in the National Highway System.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s amendment freezing motor vehicles’ length limits passed on a roll call vote of 12-11. All other amendments to the authorization bill passed on voice vote.

The New Jersey Democrat’s amendment also deletes the right of states to determine tractor-trailer length standards for the National Highway System.

A day earlier, the American Trucking Associations and the Association of American Railroads made a joint announcement supporting freezing current federal truck size and weight limits for six years.