Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on why Congress should allow twin 33-foot trailers on national highways and challenged objections to twin 33s that they argue could increase capacity per delivery by 18%:
“The first is the burden of more stress on roads that already aren’t in great shape. But shippers aren’t looking to increase the 80,000-pound weight limit. The problem with the status quo is that the twin trailers fill up with boxes before reaching the weight limit.”
“A second concern is safety: Won’t bigger trucks mean more accidents? FedEx CEO Fred Smith noted in testimony to Congress that twin 33s perform as well as or better on important measures like static rollover threshold and load transfer ratio.
Proponents commissioned a study from safety expert and consultant Ron Knipling, who notes that a modern truck dashboard ‘more resembles a cockpit than a truck,’ and that safety improvements include everything from forward collision warnings to automatic emergency braking. Dr. Knipling’s study notes that fewer miles mean fewer accidents. Less fuel would also translate to reductions in carbon emissions.”
The Wall Street Journal editorial concludes that twin 33 trailers are, “A chance to make a marked improvement without spending more taxpayer cash.”
Click here to read the full piece.