House bill delays approval of larger trucks

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee declined to allow a heavier category of trucks on the nation's highways, instead deferring the decision until after a study, according to Bloomberg.

The proposal, put forward by Committee Chairman John Mica, would allow for the use of trucks up to 97,000 pounds from the current limit of 80,000 pounds. But legislators expressed concerns about the safety of these trucks and instead chose to call for a study on the matter from the Department of Transportation.

"Before we put the public safety at risk, we should do the study and make an informed decision," said Representative Jerry Costello of Illinois.

The issue of larger vehicles has become a major battleground between the trucking and freight train industries. The two are competing over slightly more than 8 percent of the country's freight that could reasonably be transported through either method, and at present trucking holds the majority of that business.

The proposal comes as part of a House highway bill that would invest roughly $260 billion in the country's infrastructure as well as change some key DOT compliance requirements, according to The Associated Press.

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