With the rise in e-commerce over the last couple of years, freight carriers have been met with a big problem: there simply isn’t enough capacity to transport goods to consumers and businesses. This challenge was highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article where it was reported that, “Wages and benefits for truck drivers are rising in the U.S. as tight freight-hauling capacity falls short of surging demand.”
The Americans for Modern Transportation coalition comes to the table with a solution to this problem: increasing the length of twin 28-foot trailers by a modest five feet. Twin 33-foot trailers would immediately increase shipping capacity by 18%, make the existing transportation system more efficient, lower shipping costs for both retailers and consumers, and will reduce wear and tear on our existing infrastructure. Today’s freight companies, along with the manufacturers and shippers that utilize them, are making critical investments in their workforce, new technologies, and existing equipment to ensure efficiency, sustainability and safety for all. We need the same forward-looking effort from our partners in federal and state governments so all Americans have access to the full promise enabled by a modern transportation system.