Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

fastlane

Will 33-foot twins be born this year?

Just two years after it was shot down by Congress, legislation to allow the use of 33-foot twin trailers on the nation's highways may finally see the light of day.

Just two years after it was shot down by Congress, legislation to allow the use of 33-foot twin trailers (T-33s) on the nation's highways may finally see the light of day. In 2015, a proposal to extend the length limit on twin-trailers to 33 feet from the current 28-foot maximum gained some traction on Capitol Hill. But it wasn't enough. The House killed the proposal before passing a five-year federal transport funding bill in late 2015.

That was hardly the first go-round on the issue. For years, less-than-truckload (LTL) and parcel carriers have been pushing for legislation to extend the current limit, which has been in place since 1982. The increase in trailer length would add 18 percent of cubic capacity to each truck run. Backers say the move would boost productivity and reduce the number of trucks on the road because each trailer could haul more goods.


Opponents, which include safety advocates, organized labor, rails, and even other members of the trucking industry, say those productivity gains would come at too high a cost, causing disruption to the marketplace and creating safety risks. For instance, the Truckload Carriers Association—whose members use 53-foot trailers, not twins—has long opposed raising the length limit, citing competitive disadvantage, safety concerns, issues with TOFC (trailer-on-flatcar) equipment designed for 53- and 28-foot containers, and other concerns. (Frankly, these and their other arguments seem weak.)

But it appears the T-33's day has finally come. What's different this time around? To begin with, we have a new administration and a new Congress, both with a decidedly anti-regulatory bias. More importantly, perhaps, there's new lobbying muscle in town, with FedEx chairman Fred Smith leading the charge.

In January, FedEx, joined by UPS, Amazon, YRC, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and others, formed a group called "Americans for Modern Transportation" (AMT). According to a press release issued at the time, the group was established to enhance both the safety and efficiency of the nation's transportation system and "will actively work to improve transportation infrastructure and policy to reflect, and meet, the growing needs of modern businesses and consumers." Perhaps not surprisingly, its first major initiative is to seek approval to use the longer rigs.

In March, AMT released the findings of a study it had commissioned on the feasibility and economics of using longer trailers. The report, titled "Twin 33-Foot Truck Trailers: Making U.S. Freight Transport Safer and More Efficient," found that rather than increasing safety risks, the use of higher-capacity trailers would actually improve safety while at the same time providing a number of environmental and economic benefits. In 2014 alone, the report said, "widespread adoption of the 33-foot trailers would have resulted in 3.1 billion fewer vehicle miles traveled, 4,500 fewer truck crashes, $2.6 billion saved in shipper costs, 53.2 million hours saved due to less congestion, 255 million fewer gallons of fuel, and 2.9 million fewer tons of CO2}emissions." The 19-page report, which went on to explain how researchers reached these conclusions, addresses specifically—and I think, convincingly—each of the concerns of the TCA.

If one takes this report at face value—and so far, there seems to be no reason not to—it would be difficult for legislators to ignore the potential benefits of using T-33s. No doubt, there will be lengthy partisan debates. But at this point, I think the prospects of passage look good. Based on the changing political climate in Washington and the AMT's lobbying power, my prediction is that the proposal will be one of the few things approved during this session of Congress.

The Latest

More Stories

chart of GenAI effect on workforce

Gartner: GenAI tools create anxiety among employees

Generative AI (GenAI) is being deployed by 72% of supply chain organizations, but most are experiencing just middling results for productivity and ROI, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.

That’s because productivity gains from the use of GenAI for individual, desk-based workers are not translating to greater team-level productivity. Additionally, the deployment of GenAI tools is increasing anxiety among many employees, providing a dampening effect on their productivity, Gartner found.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

warehouse worker driving forklift between racks

German 3PL Arvato acquires two U.S. logistics firms

The German third party logistics provider (3PL) Arvato this week acquired the U.S.-headquartered companies Carbel LLC and United Customs Services, saying the move would grow its client base, particularly in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle segments.

According to Arvato, it made the move in order to better serve the U.S. e-commerce sector, which has experienced high growth rates in recent years and is expected to grow year-on-year by 5% within the next five years.

Keep ReadingShow less
photo collage of warehouse tech

Supply chain pros are wary of inflation and labor woes

The top worries that supply chain leaders hope to address with new innovations this year include inflationary concerns (68%) and labor shortages (50%), according to a survey on innovation from the third-party logistics provider (3PL) Kenco.

And many of them will have a budget to do it, since 51% of supply chain professionals with existing innovation budgets saw an increase earmarked for 2025, suggesting an even greater emphasis on investing in new technologies to meet rising demand, Kenco said in its “2025 Supply Chain Innovation” survey.

Keep ReadingShow less
volvo and waabi self driving truck

Volvo deepens partnership with Waabi for self-driving truck tech

Volvo Autonomous Solutions will form a strategic partnership with autonomous driving technology and generative AI provider Waabi to jointly develop and deploy autonomous trucks, with testing scheduled to begin later this year.

The two companies said they will integrate Waabi's virtual driver system, the Waabi Driver, into the Volvo VNL Autonomous, Volvo’s autonomous truck with redundant systems for enabling safe autonomous operations. The Volvo VNL Autonomous will be produced at Volvo’s New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Virginia, and be designed to support diverse operational needs, use cases, and Volvo Group truck brands.

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of women's portion of transport and storage jobs

Women hold only 12% of transportation and storage jobs worldwide

Women are significantly underrepresented in the global transport sector workforce, comprising only 12% of transportation and storage workers worldwide as they face hurdles such as unfavorable workplace policies and significant gender gaps in operational, technical and leadership roles, a study from the World Bank Group shows.

This underrepresentation limits diverse perspectives in service design and decision-making, negatively affects businesses and undermines economic growth, according to the report, “Addressing Barriers to Women’s Participation in Transport.” The paper—which covers global trends and provides in-depth analysis of the women’s role in the transport sector in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA)—was prepared jointly by the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the International Transport Forum (ITF).

Keep ReadingShow less