Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. ROUZER. I thank the chairman.
I am proud to lend my full support to the chairman's bill to fund our transportation systems that are so vital to moving this country forward.
Mr. Chairman, important needs of our industries and countless businesses in North Carolina are addressed by this legislation.
First, a marginal increase in the length of twin trailers carrying freight over North Carolina's roads will allow more freight to be carried per trip, thus decreasing the number of trucks on the road. This modest change to 33 feet in length has a large impact on productivity. Slightly longer trailers improve stability because you have a longer wheelbase.
More productivity means a slower growth rate of truck trips on our roads. With this change, there would be 6.6 million fewer truck trips per year; and, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's data, it would prevent at least 912 highway accidents every year.
Mr. Chairman, I think it is important to note that the North Carolina Troopers Association is focused on supporting policies that promote safety and improve law enforcement in the State of North Carolina and across this country. They support modernizing freight transportation regulations to allow for 33 feet in length.
Mr. Chairman, I submit for the Record their letter in support of this change.
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Mr. ROUZER. I am also pleased to support the committee's language that would continue to prohibit the use of funds to enforce the restart provisions of hours-of-service rules for our truck drivers. The trucking industry does not need more regulations imposed upon them in the name of safety.
Safety is an absolute priority for their industry. Trucking companies know that, without good safety records, they will not be the carriers of choice for businesses that need to move freight.
Mr. Chairman, each of these provisions will help spur economic growth throughout our Nation and enable us to better compete and thrive globally. My constituents in the manufacturing and agricultural industries are interested in making Federal transportation policies more conducive to the productive and efficient movement of the goods, and these provisions will help facilitate that.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
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