Longer tractor trailers could soon be coming to highways in Connecticut. The bill, which has passed out of the U.S. House, would allow truckers to use double-trailers that are each 33 feet long. Right now, the feds cap these twin-trailers at 28 feet a piece.
Lobbying groups like the American Trucking Associations have praised the measure. It says the extra ten feet of cargo-space will improve shipping capacity and safety -- without increasing truck weight limits.
But law enforcement seems to think otherwise. Andrew Matthews is president of the Connecticut State Police Union and chairman of a national state police group representing about 42,000 troopers. "We believe these changes will jeopardize the safety of the public," he said. "Creating greater stopping distances and a higher risk of rollovers."
Matthews said the twin-33 foot trailers could replace what's currently the one of the most commonly used haulers in Connecticut -- 53-foot-long single trailers.
The change is buried in the federal appropriations budget for the DOT, which awaits a vote in the U.S. Senate. It's also opposed by the Teamsters, the Obama Administration, and Senator Richard Blumenthal.
