Lane Kidd got a good look at what some see as the future of trucking when he attended a recent news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
On display was a semitruck with two 33-foot trailers attached -- a vehicle that stretched 91 feet.
"I've been in trucking a long time," said Kidd, who is the managing director of the Trucking Alliance and the former president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. "That rig was huge."
The super-sized truck serves as the focal point of a debate that has "deeply divided" the industry, according to Kidd.
Congress is considering legislation that would allow trucks to pull two trailers, increasing the length from 28 feet to 33 feet and adding 10 feet of space for cargo.
Supporters believe the extension would increase productivity, reduce truck congestion on highways, and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions as the amount of freight shipped continues to grow.
Opponents insist that longer trailers operating nationwide would have a negative effect on highway safety and an enormous impact on truckload businesses that use single 53-foot trailers.
The debate isn't new. Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, said size and weight are long-standing issues in transportation. But the latest round of debate kicked off after the Senate and House included amendments to appropriations bills this summer that would allow twin trailers to be extended to 33 feet, paving the way for a potential "new reality."
"Size, weight and productivity have always been a difficult issue for the industry," Newton said. "It's such a capital-intensive industry. Companies have so much invested in their equipment. So when you start looking at different configurations and different equipment and the value they receive in exchange for utilizing that equipment, ... it gets divided real quick."
Arkansas is one of 31 states that prohibits twin 33-foot trailers on its highways. Maj. Jay Thompson of the Arkansas Highway Police said 28 feet for twin trailers is the current limit, coinciding with federal laws that have been in place since 1982. But Thompson said an exception is made for 28.5-foot trailers that were manufactured before Dec. 1, 1982.
The Arkansas Trucking Association supports opening every state to twin 33-foot trailers. Newton said its support is based on the association's policy of advocating for increases in productivity as long as safety isn't compromised. She believes that data show no added safety concerns.
"The reality is populations are growing, the economy is growing, there's more freight to be hauled," Newton said. "At some point, America is going to have to decide if they want more trucks on the road or if they want more stuff in the trucks. In this case, I think the research indicates that 33-foot trailers can operate safely if it increases wheel base, enhances stability."
The association isn't alone. The American Trucking Associations has publicly supported the push for longer twin trailers as well. So has the Coalition for Efficient and Responsible Trucking, an organization that represents less-than-truckload carriers like Fort Smith-based ArcBest Corp., FedEx, Con-Way Inc., Old Dominion Freight Lines and UPS.
Each company uses twin trailers to haul goods and believes an increase in size -- without exceeding federal weight limits of 80,000 pounds -- would improve efficiency.
Fred Smith, chief executive officer of FedEx, said in a quarterly earnings conference call earlier this year that 28-foot trailers often "cube out before they weigh out," meaning space is filled before reaching 80,000 pounds. ArcBest Corp. Chief Executive Officer Judy McReynolds estimated in the company's third-quarter earnings call that productivity could increase by about 18 percent with twin 33-foot trailers.
There are other benefits as well, according to Coalition for Efficient and Responsible Trucking spokesman Ed Patru. He said online shopping and consumer demand for efficient package delivery put more trucks on the road.
"While a modest 5-foot extension in the length of twin trailers is not a panacea for the flood of new trucks expected on the nation's neglected infrastructure, it will significantly reduce congestion by eliminating an estimated 6.6 million truck trips per year, preventing 912 highway accidents annually, economizing 204 million gallons of fuel every year, and reducing carbon emissions by 4.4 billion pounds per year, all without changing the federal cap on weight limits," Patru said in an email.
Opponents -- many of whom are members of the truckload sector -- don't believe that the potential benefits outweigh the safety risks or impact on the rest of the industry.
Earlier this month, three U.S. senators joined representatives from the Truckload Carriers Association, the Teamsters, and truck-safety advocate groups in a protest outside the nation's Capitol against the 91-foot truck that was on display.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement that he believed the "deadly doubles are a dire threat to public safety."
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said the states that oppose the longer twin trailers should get the opportunity to weigh in on safety decisions, and every senator should get "an opportunity to vote up or down on this issue" before it proceeds.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., pointed to the Department of Transportation's June recommendation to Congress that it not pass any laws until it can "fully study this issue."
Kidd -- whose organization includes Arkansas-based companies J.B. Hunt and Maverick USA -- believes that approval of longer rigs would put carriers that don't haul freight with twin trailers at a competitive disadvantage. Pressure would grow on those carriers to switch, and smaller truckload companies would be hard-pressed to afford the costs associated with the change.
"Not to take anything away from the reasons why supporters have been pushing this idea, but it's far bigger than simply getting UPS or FedEx or another company the ability to pull these double trailers," Kidd said. "It will open Pandora's box. Overnight, every trucking company in the U.S will be asked by their customers how soon they're going to be able to purchase double 33-foot trailers."
Thompson said the Arkansas Highway Police will continue to monitor the issue as the debate continues, while also preparing for the possibility of longer twin trailers onto state highways.
The department has been proactive with its approach so far, reaching out to counterparts in Florida where twin 33-foot trailers have been tested. Thompson said Arkansas hasn't had problems with twin 28-foot trailers navigating the state's roadways, but longer twin trailers raise some questions.
"We have some concerns that it may ... cause some safety issues on certain highways in our state with twin 33s," Thompson said.
"Will increased length have an adverse affect on safety? At this point, we don't know."
SundayMonday Business on 10/25/2015