Huge trucks would destroy California roads and bridges

By Jorgel Chavez, specifically for CalMatters

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Truck weight is a major concern for southeast Los Angeles County, including Bell Gardens, as Congress considers proposals that would add 11,000 pounds to the current 80,000-pound weight limit for semi-trucks.

At least one proposal under consideration would eliminate truck weight limits entirely.

These bills are aimed at reducing shipping costs for huge corporations. But they would also put our communities at risk, creating serious safety concerns and higher infrastructure costs.

Trucks over the standard 80,000 pound limit cause more crashes and lead to a higher fatality rate than lighter trucks, a federal study shows. There were more than 12,000 crashes involving large trucks, resulting in nearly 400 deaths and more than 5,300 injured victimsin California in 2023.

Many of the state’s roads and bridges were not designed to handle the current level and severity of truck traffic today. Larger, heavier tractor-trailers will put more strain and damage on our already heavily used infrastructure.

Apparently California drivers don’t need bigger trucks leaving worse ruts on the roads to get around. And anyone who has driven the 710 freeway knows that trucks are a major factor in daily traffic jams.

Larger tractor trailers would also increase wear on the bridges. California bridges were never designed to handle 91,000-pound trucks. It makes no sense to increase the stress on bridges that are already in poor condition

Of the 1,227 local bridges in Los Angeles County, for example, 515 are now rated in “fair” or “poor” condition. At least 121 of these bridges will need to be replaced of those that can support trucks weighing 91,000 lbs. The replacement cost: more than $683 million, according to federal bridge data and the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks.

California has 12,426 locally maintained bridges. Of those, 7,433 are rated fair or poor by the Federal Highway Administration. The review of federal bridges ends 2841 will need replacement to safely accommodate trucks of 91,000 lbs. The cost will exceed $8.1 billion, much of which will come from county and municipal coffers.

Opposition to larger trucks comes from every state and transcends political parties. Recently, more than 2,200 local government leaders from all 50 states sent a letter to Congresssaying bigger trucks will make a bad situation worse.

“Much of our transportation infrastructure that connects people to work, schools and leisure is in disrepair, in part because local and rural roads and bridges are older and not built to the same standards as interstates,” they wrote.

“Many of us are unable to keep up with our current maintenance schedules and replacement costs due to underfunded budgets. The impact of heavier or longer tractor trailers will only exacerbate these problems.”

As the most populous state with more than 39 million people, California needs to be honest about what is safe and efficient for our roads. There is no time to add extra weight or length to commercial vehicles that use our roads.

Elected officials and citizens must stand together to support new and innovative ideas in transportation, but oppose those who prioritize corporate profit over the safety of motorists and public infrastructure.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.