States will have the option of raising interstate weight limits if the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act passes.
States could increase weight limits for trucks equipped with six axles to 97,000 pounds, without increasing truck size, according to the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, a group that represents more than 160 shippers.
The act, if passed, "would make the shipment of heavier cargo more efficient, as many trucks meet the current 80,000-pound federal weight limit with signficiant space in their rigs. Shippers could safely utilize extra cargo space and reduce truck loads, fuel, emissions and vehicle miles traveled for each ton of freight shipped."
The legislation has been introduced to the U.S. Senate. It was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it has 54 co-sponsors.
