There is a lot of talk about raising the current 80,000 Lb weight limit that trucks are currently allowed to haul to a staggering 100,000 lb Weight Limit. The more I hear about the growing number of people supporting this issue the more the knot in my stomach grows. I sit here and ponder on the issue of the stupidity of these supporters or could it be just as simple as a 5 letter word that has never had a good impact on anything in life "GREED". How many
lives have been ruined by greed? How many people have lost their lives over greed? I personally don’t think we have room in the trucking industry for any more greed. Just for example let’s say 100,000,000 Lbs of freights gets loaded daily, this means it would take 1250 trucks currently to move this freight. Now you raise this to the 100,000 weight limit now you only need 1000 trucks. Which we all know there’s a lot more than 1250 trucks on the road. So My Question is what do these 250 drivers do that no job? With the economy in such trouble and companies closing their doors daily leaving so many drivers jobless, I don’t think this is a chance we as Americans need to take. But the issue goes even deeper then the amount of jobs that will be lost. What about safety? How many trucks have you seen with smoking brakes over the years? You add 20,000 Lbs of weight to truck already coming down Vail Pass with smoking brakes you are sure to increase the business at the local funeral home. What about that car that cut the driver off and he barely missed them, if they had on 20,000 Lbs more would they of still missed that car? What about that bridges that are bogged down with 80,000 lb trucks already, does that mean we will see another Bridge fall like we did on I-35 In August of 2007? More weight makes no since to me and I think it not only very selfish of the supporters to ask for heavier trucks but also flat out STUPID.
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We're trying to learn who did the polls, and where they came from?
ReplyDeleteDid they poll a bunch of 10th graders?
I also feel this will hurt the Heavy Haulers somehow, either with more fees to pay some where, or a change in the Heavy Road Use Tax, and Permits.
They will find a way to nail us that pay well to Heavy Haul now, and probably put us way into another class.
I feel there's been a lot of pressure put on the American Truckers because of the fight to get the Mexican trucks up to par, and good enough to haul here.
There's been a lot of bad press every time we knock down the Mexican trucks.
Seems like every time we put a stop to the Mexican Pilot Truck program, there's an article bad talking the American Trucker, either being not healthy, to being ugly, you name it, It don't matter, but these billionaires that run this country will get what they want, and not what we want.
Mexico and Central America are country's that run on bribes. That is all they know!
After 15 years to get ready to come over the border, they could of cared less. Canada has done great with it. But these billionaires padded the pockets of the Mexican officials now. So we have a fight.
I'm sorry, getting off topic, but I feel it all stems down to these billionaires that now run the country and they're shutting down the little guy.
Well, I happen to be in favor of 97,000lb wt because I haul livestock feed, and different states have different wt limits. It puts me in a jam because my net wt is heavy 37500lbs. I have an average truck that hauls Legally, 90,000 gross or 26 ton net. I take care of my equipment, and that is why I bought a heavy trailer-to be able to do the job safe. I have an extra axle with braking power, so don't mislead folks by not telling them if they do increase wt limits, it will only be on a vehice with 6 or more axles. I do not think pulling 57 t trailers are right, but 53's set up to handle the load is fine. Each set of axlesd will bear the weight equally, as long as it is loaded legal. And, if the wt is over the 97,000lbs, then put a BIG penalty on the driver like $1000.00. This load may not work for everyone, but it will work very well for me and the cattle producer to help keep freight costs down. Soprry, but thats what I think thx.
ReplyDeleteddghauler...I understand and respect what you're saying about equipment. But the reality is in the general freight sector it will require a longer trailer to deal with this type of weight increase. Currently a 53' trailer can be loaded with 26 skids max...and that will cause a major overweight on the tandems. An extra axle would compensate for this, but then the max load average would be above the trailers capability...kinda like when we went from 48' to 53'. Drivers will be forced to go to a larger trailer to get the loads.
ReplyDeleteI also want to point out the serious issue of inexperienced, improperly trained new drivers will be subject to dealing with this weight limit. Nothing but serious situations will most certainly arise from this.
Corporate greed is at the root of this increase in gross weight. They want to put more on the back of a driver and not compensate them for it. Hell...they already underpay truckers as it is. To side with this action is only empowering corporate entities to continue their abuse of truckers.
Safe Trails and God Bless,
Frederick (SilverSurfer) Schaffner
TheAmericanDriver