The National Private Truck Council (NPTC), an association representing some 600 major American companies with private truck fleets, sent a letter urging the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee to act on truck weight reform legislation. Many of NPTC’s member companies are household names like:  Frito-Lay, CVS, Nestlé, General Mills, Pepsico, Safeway, John Deere, Marathon Petroleum, Walmart, Walgreens, Chrysler, Kellogg’s and Boeing.

In the letter, the NPTC, which is a member of the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, asked members to include the Safe, Flexible and Efficient (SAFE) Trucking Act (H.R. 3488) in the surface transportation reauthorization legislation when it goes before the House this fall. The SAFE Trucking Act gives states the flexibility to safely confront highway capacity issues by utilizing more productive, six-axle trucks on Interstate highways within their borders.

“H.R. 3488 would improve options for enhancing productivity,” wrote Gary Petty, president and CEO of NPTC, noting the safety and productivity improvements contained the bill. “NPTC’s member companies are the vanguard of safe truck transportation in the United States—we are the earliest adopters of new safety technology, equipment and management practices. NPTC would not support this legislation if our members thought that it might diminish safety or harm highway or bridge infrastructure.” 

Petty continued, “We understand that the railroad industry and their surrogates are opposed to this bill.  But railroad interests should not hold a veto over highway transportation policy.  They should compete for freight in a free and fair marketplace that allows for productivity enhancements for all modes.”

To read NPTC’s full letter, click here.