Missouri, Kansas leaders: Protect drivers from bigger, heavier trucks | Opinion

Missouri and Kansas lawmakers in Congress will have outsized influence over whether the nation reverses course and allows much larger — and more dangerous — trucks on the nation’s highways, as key congressional panels gear up their legislative push in the new year.

Perhaps the most influential lawmaker on the issue is Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri’s 6th District. Graves is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is responsible for crafting legislation impacting highway funding and related policy.

Also on his powerful committee are Missouri Republican Reps. Eric Burlison and Bob Onder. From Kansas, the committee includes GOP Rep. Tracey Mann and Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids.

Graves recently laid out aggressive legislative priorities for the panel, which are the targets for proponents of larger trucks.

“Looking ahead to this year, we have multiple legislative priorities that the committee must reauthorize, including our surface transportation programs,” he said recently. “The committee has already been hard at work on the next surface transportation bill, and we plan to mark it up early this year.”

In the Senate, area lawmakers will also play a major role, with Republican Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Eric Schmitt of Missouri, as key players on the committee in that chamber responsible for highway funding and policy issues.

The local influence over the national issue comes as proponents are readying proposals to raise allowable weight limits for tractor trailers on highways, from the current 80,000 pounds to as much as 156,000 pounds. Lawmakers in years past have consistently shot down such proposals, which are promoted by large shipping companies aiming to improve profits.

Previous proposals before Congress, several of which may get new life in the weeks ahead, have included a 91,000-pound “pilot project” allowing states to authorize operation of these dangerous heavier trucks on roadways for up to 10 years. Another bill would relax the weight limit to 88,000 pounds for automobile transporters. Another would give governors sweeping, new powers to relax truck weight limits. And still another would dramatically expand where massive log trucks are allowed to operate. Log trucks can weigh as much as 156,000 pounds, 38 tons more than the current weight limit.

Chairman Graves and the other area lawmakers will have to weigh any proposals against widespread opposition from around the country. Efforts that would allow larger trucks on the roads are deeply unpopular at the local level, both with law enforcement and local government leaders.

For example, more than 2,200 local government officials from all 50 states joined together last year to let congressional lawmakers know they are against proposals to allow such trucks. In their group letter to congressional members, the officials stressed that many localities are already struggling to keep up with the backlog of roadway maintenance due to a lack of funds.

In addition, many groups opposed the measures due to safety concerns, including law enforcement organizations such as the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National Troopers Coalition, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations. What’s more, groups representing the drivers of big rigs are opposed due to safety concerns. These include the Owner-Operator Drivers Association, the Truckload Carriers Association and the Teamsters.

Officials have known for years about the dangerous and deadly relationship between safety and truck weight — so much so that in 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation recommended against any increases in the size or weight of trucks. The agency documented serious safety problems, finding up to a 400% higher crash rate for heavier trucks when compared to standard 80,000-pound trucks.

Fatalities involving large trucks are already a major safety issue for the region. Findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that annual fatalities in Missouri resulting from crashes with large trucks rose 41.2% between 2013 and 2023. In all, 1,298 people died in Missouri during that period as a result of collisions involving large trucks.

Meanwhile, Kansas also has experienced a surge in fatalities — annual deaths from crashes with large trucks climbed by over 30% between 2013 and 2023, with 847 fatalities during that period.

The numbers don’t lie. Our roads are dangerous enough without the added concern of even bigger rigs.

Kristofer P. Turnbow is mayor of Raymore.