Monster trucks? A bill percolating in D.C. to boost rig weights is causing concern in the suburbs

On Sept. 30, the massive five-year federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided $674 billion for transportation, expires.

That means even more Capitol drama as lawmakers feud over scant funds to pay for roads, transit and rail.

The debate will intensify if the new surface transportation bill raises the maximum truck weight from 80,000 to 91,000 pounds. There’s little gray area in this issue.

“Red flags go up all the time when I see bills that look at increasing truck weights,” former Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steve Casstevens said.

At 91,000 pounds, “a truck that heavy just takes longer to stop and when they stop, they’re overtaxing their braking systems. The rollover risk is increased,” explained Casstevens, who investigated multiple crashes in his 46 years in law enforcement.

The traffic unit had a saying: “When it comes to a crash, the vehicle with the biggest lug nuts wins and that’s the case with heavy trucks,” Casstevens said.

The current weight limit was set in 1982 and is outdated, shippers and retail giants contend.

“It’s time to bring trucking into the 21st Century and allow states to raise their weight limits on interstate highways. Trucks perform better with a 6-axle, 91,000-pound configuration,” Shipping Coalition officials said.

The organization argues that a 10-year pilot program in Idaho found no heightened risks. Features like crash-warning systems and roll-stability controls have improved safety since the 1980s, they say.

The transportation legislation is a work in progress. Changes on the bigger truck front could include establishing a pilot program, with crash data collection, that allows states to permit weights up to 91,000 pounds.

Casstevens scoffs at the pilot project idea, saying it is “using motorists as guinea pigs.”

The Retail Industry Leaders Association, which includes companies such as Target, asserts that the change will improve efficiency, reduce the number of trips — thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions — save money and bolster the supply chain.

“It reduces congestion and lowers costs for a more resilient supply chain,” RILA Senior Director of Government Affairs Sarah Gilmore said.

Casstevens, a Coalition Against Bigger Trucks’ Law Enforcement Board member, met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. this month armed with data, including the following:

• In a limited state testing, the crash rate for 91,000-pound trucks was found to be 47% higher than with 80,000-pound rigs, according to a 2016 U.S. Department of Transportation study.

• In Illinois, 190 people died in 6,405 large-truck crashes in 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported. From 2013 to 2023, truck crash fatalities rose by 34%, according to the most recent numbers.

Over 140 Illinois leaders, including officials from Aurora, Buffalo Grove, East Dundee, Schaumburg, and DuPage and Will counties, have engaged also, sending a joint letter to members of Congress opposing new weights.

“Heavier and longer trucks would cause significantly more damage to our transportation infrastructure, costing us billions of dollars that local government budgets simply cannot afford,” they stated.

Got a comment on the truck legislation? Drop an email to mpyke@dailyherald.com.

You should know

As spring break season approaches, the U.S Transportation Security Administration is reminding travelers REAL ID requirements are in force. Passengers need to have REAL ID or a passport before going through security, or have the option to pay a $45 fee and use the agency’s online ConfirmID program.

REAL ID requirements started last May. Preliminary TSA data shows 95% to 99% of flyers are bringing REAL ID or other acceptable identification to airports.