WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the Americans for Modern Transportation (AMT) coalition released a new study which finds that widespread adoption of Twin 33 foot trailers boosts safety and efficiency for American drivers, consumers, and businesses. Conducted by 35-year traffic safety researcher Dr. Ronald Knipling, the study finds safety is enhanced by increasing the stability of trailers on the road, reducing truck miles driven by 3.1 billion, and enabling better enforcement of standards for all trucks.
“Allowing widespread use of Twin 33 trailers is common sense policy. Not only are they more stable at highway speeds, the efficiency gains mean we have fewer trucks on the road,” said Dr. Knipling. “Fewer trucks means fewer accidents, less wear and tear on our roads, and more focused enforcement by weigh stations for all types of trucks. It’s a win-win for drivers, consumers, businesses, and the economy,” Dr. Knipling added.
Entitled “Twin 33 Foot Truck Trailers: Making U.S. Freight Transport Safer And More Efficient,” Dr. Knipling’s study finds a shift to Twin 33s results in reduced exposure to risk, fewer annual truck accidents, improved fuel efficiency, lowered emissions, and reduced traffic.
Key findings include:
- Widespread adoption of Twin 33s would have reduced truck miles driven by 3.1 billion in 2014, avoiding 4,500 accidents annually.
- Similarly, in 2014, the shift to Twin 33s would have saved 255.2 million gallons of fuel and reduced carbon emissions by nearly 3 million tons. Clean air improvements would be like taking 551,000 cars off the highways.
- Lastly, a shift to Twin 33s would have dramatically reduced congestion, decreasing travel delay time by 53.2 million hours.
- Overall, a shift to Twin 33s would save $2.6 billion in transportation costs.
The study highlights the innovations improving trucking safety and efficiency. Dr. Knipling finds that adaptive cruise control, electronic stability monitoring, video mirrors, collision warning systems, and continuous onboard safety monitoring are revolutionizing truck safety.
“While the trucking industry continues to innovate, it’s been more than 25 years since we upgraded our transportation policies,” said AMT spokesperson Melissa Manson. “Business and consumer trends demand a modern transportation system,” she added.
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About Americans for Modern Transportation
Americans for Modern Transportation represents the nation’s largest shippers, deliverers, and retailers who are committed to improving the safety and efficiency of America’s transportation system and modernizing the delivery of products across the country. The coalition’s founding members include Amazon, American Highway Users Alliance, Carbon War Room, Estes Express Lines, FedEx, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, International Foodservice Distributors Association, International Warehouse Logistics Association, National Association of Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, National Shippers Strategic Transportation Council, North American Council For Freight Efficiency, Retail Industry Leaders Association, Securing America’s Future Energy, Sysco, The National Industrial Transportation League, ULINE, UPS, U.S. Chamber Of Commerce, and YRCW.
Visit americansformoderntransportation.org and follow @amtcoalition on Twitter for more information.