Voters in eastern Utah are solidly against congressional proposals that would raise federal limits on the size of tractor trailers, requiring state motorists to travel alongside bigger and more dangerous trucks.
A new poll of the state’s third congressional district commissioned by the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks — a nonprofit grassroots organization focused on highway safety — finds local residents oppose increasing truck weights to 91,000 pounds, with 66% against and only 13% in favor. This poll also found that 60% of voters oppose a congressional proposal that would give states authority to test heavier trucks through a “pilot program” allowing for expansive operation on public roads.
Current federal law limits trucks to 80,000 pounds on interstates, which has been the limit for decades. Truck drivers and local public works departments understand what these trucks are capable of. But now some lawmakers are pushing to raise that limit to 91,000 pounds and beyond.
Increasing the weight limit is unsafe and takes road safety and infrastructure in the wrong direction.
With over three decades in the trucking business myself, I know how critical trucking is to so many livelihoods in this region. I also know the serious problems that can come when you increase the weight for semitrucks.
Bigger trucks degrade more quickly, with all the weight wearing down key safety equipment like brakes. They place truck drivers at a disadvantage when they have to manage driving with damaged equipment.
Most of the road and bridge infrastructure trucks use are built for the current standard size and weight of semitrucks. Who will be paying to retrofit the ports, distribution centers and other locations that trucks need to use?
None of the proposals for bigger trucks brought forward include any language to get funds to communities for damages. For these reasons alone, I am not in favor of increasing the weight of trucks.
Large commercial trucks already require longer stopping distances and create major hazards when crashes occur. When those vehicles collide with passenger cars, the results can be devastating. Adding more weight increases the potential severity of those crashes.
Trucks in Utah must go up mountains and squeeze into the metros around Salt Lake City. These situations would be far more dangerous with even heavier trucks, which are harder to stop and more difficult to maneuver.
According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Utah’s roads saw 1,115 large-truck crashes in 2023, resulting in 473 injuries and 63 tragic fatalities. This death toll represents a 24% increase from the previous year and reflects a staggering 215% rise in truck-related deaths over the last decade, from 2013 to 2023.
These escalating safety risks raise serious concerns regarding proposals to increase truck weights, which would force Utah families to share the highway with significantly heavier, more dangerous vehicles.
The poll results speak for themselves. Here in Utah, drivers understand the risks on the roadways. They want safety and common sense to come first.
Congress is now debating transportation legislation that could include changes to truck weight limits. Utah lawmaker Rep. Mike Kennedy sits on the House committee considering proposals to allow heavier trucks. As the debate continues, Rep. Kennedy and his colleagues should heed the people who travel our roads every single day and the voters who call our area home.
Increasing the weight limits for commercial trucks leaves less room for error. Voting in favor of these heavier loads would be a giant step backward for Utah.