Posted: | July 5, 2017 11:15 AM |
---|---|
From: | Representative Jim Marshall |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | 102-inch Wide Truck Trailers |
In the near future, I plan on introducing legislation that will update the Vehicle Code to reflect what has become the standard trailer width. My legislation will reflect the reality that 96-inch (8 feet) wide trailers are just not available anymore except by special and costly order but they remain the standard in our 1976 codified Vehicle Code. Specifically, today we allow a number of exceptions for 102-inch (8 ½ feet) wide trailers granting them authority to operate Commonwealth wide. But, the industry hasn’t used the 96-inch width as a standard for several years, and have moved to the 102-inch width. In fact, a 96-inch trailer is an added cost of over $1,000 per trailer and a 6 to 8-month lead time as the assembly lines have to be reconfigured to accommodate such a request. My bill will make the new standard of 102-inch wide trailers on all Pennsylvania highways, while still allowing both PennDOT and municipalities the ability to restrict these vehicles where necessary on specific roadways, utilizing existing authority granted under 75 PA C.S. § 4902 (b). Lastly, here are some examples of the need to expand the 102-inch width allowance:
Please join me in co-sponsoring this common-sense and important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as HB1699