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Twin-trailer expansion would need to be part of broad infrastructure deal, Burnley says

Congressional opponents may not object if measure tucked into otherwise-favorable infrastructure bill, attorney says.

Efforts to push through the first legislative change in the length of twin truck trailers in 36 years would have to come as part of a broad infrastructure package and not be proposed as a stand-alone bill, a leading transportation attorney said yesterday.

James H. Burnley IV, who served as transportation secretary during the last two years of the Reagan administration and since leaving government has been in private practice in Washington, said there is still resistance in Congress to expanding the maximum size of twins operating on federal-aid highways to 33 feet each from 28 feet. However, lawmakers who oppose the measure are not so dug in that they couldn't live with the change if it was incorporated in a big infrastructure package that they could support, Burnley told the SMC3 annual winter meeting in Atlanta.


By contrast, Congressional opposition is so embedded and intense to proposals expanding a truck's gross vehicle weight—truck, trailer, and cargo—beyond the current 80,000-pound ceiling that the chances of any change in that area are slim, Burnley said. The current truck weight and size ceilings have been in effect since 1982.

The White House has called for a $1 trillion infrastructure package—to include transport, water, broadband, and energy—which would leverage $200 billion in federal spending to attract $800 billion in investment from the private sector, states, and localities.

In 2015, supporters mounted a vigorous but unsuccessful legislative effort to change the trailer-length law. The Obama administration had said there should be no change in the law. It is unclear where the Trump administration stands on the issue.

Shippers, parcel, and less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, and trade groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have for years supported a 10-foot extension in the length of twin trailers. They argue the longer trailers would increase a vehicle's productivity by up to 18 percent by enabling more efficient cubing of trailer space, and would not add miles traveled or increase a truck's weight beyond the legal limit. Backers of the proposal contend that the growth of digital commerce over the next 10 years will result in a 40-percent increase in LTL shipments that will move in 28-foot twin trailers. About 1.2 million more trucks will be needed to meet that demand, they argue.

Supporters contend that trucks carrying 33-foot trailers would be equipped with longer wheelbases that will handle with more stability than rigs hauling 28-foot trailers.

Opponents argue that the longer vehicles would be more difficult to maneuver, especially on highway on- and off-ramps not configured to safely accommodate trucks with twin trailers longer than the current configuration.

Blair Anderson, director, transportation public policy, for Seattle-based e-tailer Amazon.com Inc., which supports the measure, would not comment on the prospects of the language making it through the legislative process. However, Amazon, which is a member of "Americans for Modern Transportation," an advocacy group, is vigorously lobbying lawmakers to change the law, according to a Washington source.

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Logistics gives back: February 2025

Here's our monthly roundup of some of the charitable works and donations by companies in the material handling and logistics space.

  • For the sixth consecutive year, dedicated contract carriage and freight management services provider Transervice Logistics Inc. collected books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines for Book Fairies, a nonprofit book donation organization in the New York Tri-State area. Transervice employees broke their own in-house record last year by donating 13 boxes of print and video assets to children in under-resourced communities on Long Island and the five boroughs of New York City.
  • Logistics real estate investment and development firm Dermody Properties has recognized eight community organizations in markets where it operates with its 2024 Annual Thanksgiving Capstone awards. The organizations, which included food banks and disaster relief agencies, received a combined $85,000 in awards ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
  • Prime Inc. truck driver Dee Sova has donated $5,000 to Harmony House, an organization that provides shelter and support services to domestic violence survivors in Springfield, Missouri. The donation follows Sova's selection as the 2024 recipient of the Trucking Cares Foundation's John Lex Premier Achievement Award, which was accompanied by a $5,000 check to be given in her name to a charity of her choice.
  • Employees of dedicated contract carrier Lily Transportation donated dog food and supplies to a local animal shelter at a holiday event held at the company's Fort Worth, Texas, location. The event, which benefited City of Saginaw (Texas) Animal Services, was coordinated by "Lily Paws," a dedicated committee within Lily Transportation that focuses on improving the lives of shelter dogs nationwide.
  • Freight transportation conglomerate Averitt has continued its support of military service members by participating in the "10,000 for the Troops" card collection program organized by radio station New Country 96.3 KSCS in Dallas/Fort Worth. In 2024, Averitt associates collected and shipped more than 18,000 holiday cards to troops overseas. Contributions included cards from 17 different Averitt facilities, primarily in Texas, along with 4,000 cards from the company's corporate office in Cookeville, Tennessee.