This week, a House/Senate conference committee approved a pilot program that will allow increased gross vehicle truck weights on federal highways in the states of Maine and Vermont.

It is believed that the safety information generated via this pilot program will empower efforts to raise gross vehicle weights nationwide, with the addition of a sixth axle. A coalition of industries, including agriculture, are pushing for these modifications in order to reduce the number of trucks on the road, lower aggregate vehicle emissions and increase economic competitiveness all without sacrificing safety or harming infrastructure. 

The goals and objectives of the coalition are embodied by Rep. Mike Michaud's (D- Maine) Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (H.R. 1799). United Fresh is a strong supporter of those goals. 

The new pilot program was allowed under the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill for 2010.  The conference report, as part of a larger package, will now go to the House and Senate floors for full consideration.