The Coalition for Transportation Productivity (CTP), a group of 200 shippers and allied associations dedicated to safely and responsibly increasing the federal vehicle weight limit on interstate highways, today applauded congressional efforts to allow more productive trucks on portions of Interstate in Mississippi and Wisconsin. CTP especially congratulates Reps. Reid Ribble (R-WI) and Alan Nunnelee (R-MS) for their leadership in moving this forward.

Like more than 40 states across the country, Mississippi and Wisconsin allow certain commodities to be transported on state roads at weights higher than federal Interstate weight limit. The federal “CRomnibus” spending bill contains measures to grandfather existing weight limits when sections of Mississippi and Wisconsin highways become part of the Interstate network in 2015. The measures have received broad, bipartisan support from the congressional delegations of both states.

“With our transportation network in the midst of a debilitating capacity squeeze, we need federal action to allow states to safely improve truck productivity,” said John Runyan, executive director of CTP. “The CRomnibus legislation is a step in the right direction for Mississippi and Wisconsin, and we hope it is a broader indication that federal lawmakers recognize the benefits of allowing states to selectively modernize their Interstate weight limits. 

“Congress should enact the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act, which safely raises the Interstate weight limit for properly equipped trucks while giving states full control to selectively implement the new limit and make their Interstates more productive. With freight tonnage moved by trucks reaching record highs, we need to give states more flexibility to manage the safety and productivity of their commercial corridors.”