The New York Times recently ran a story on the cup cake saga, that delightful little cake that drives school boards across the land to ban these little frosted topped confections from the classrooms, cafeterias and bake sales. The obsession with childhood obesity has nothing on the real threat to the free world, obese tractor trailer trucks, more commonly referred to as overweight trucks.
And the Greenwich weigh station is the place to be, when its open, to see just how many trucks crash the scales. According to the 4,500 rucks passed through the Greenwich weigh station over the past 4 days, and one truck managed tip the scales 40,000 pounds over the weight limit.
Heavy trucks cause more damage to the roads than cars. We see the evidence of the heavy trucks all the time, tire treads sheared off tires, and well worn grooves in the right and middle lanes of I-95.
Debate about operation of the Greenwich station has raged for years. Critics said truck traffic backs onto I-95, or drivers divert to Greenwich roads to avoid the checkpoint.
Other lawmakers have said the station’s hours should be increased only as part of a statewide plan that includes longer hours at Connecticut’s four other weigh stations.
Last Friday, 2,030 trucks passed through the Greenwich station, with 46 drivers cited for 79 charges, said Trooper William Tate, a state police spokesman. One driver and eight trucks were pulled out of service for violations, he said.
The state levied $18,475 in fines Friday, including one trucker who accumulated more than $15,000 in violations.
Tate said the state did not have specific reports, but sources familiar with the Greenwich weigh station said the truck weighed nearly 124,000 pounds, more than 40,000 pounds over the legal limit. The driver also had illegal permits.
On Saturday, 1,800 trucks passed through the weigh station, with 44 drivers cited with 67 charges and $18,792 in fines levied. Two drivers and seven vehicles were taken out of service.
Weigh station sources said many truckers were surprised the checkpoint was open Sunday. Only 800 trucks were inspected, but 50 drivers were cited, 67 charges were filed and $24,000 in fines were levied. Seven drivers and four vehicles were taken out of service.
The weigh station checked 1,117 trucks Monday, citing 31 drivers with 49 charges and levying $12,692 in fines.
Trucks that are over eight limits also become harder to control. The stop and go traffic on I-95 routinely leads to tractor trailer accidents on an almost daily basis. According to a law firm catering to truck accidents:
Fatal Truck Accidents: 24 / year
Non-Fatal Truck Accidents: 952 / year
Accident Locations: 50% (Urban), 50% (Rural)
Carrier Information:
- 23% of Connecticut truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not CT.Largest Connecticut Truck Carriers:
- PACE MOTOR LINES INC
- FARRUGGIO’S BRISTOL & PHILA AUTO EXPRESS, INC.
- ROBERT GRAY’S SONS, INC.
- CASSARINO TRUCKING, INC.
- NORTHERN EXPRESS TRANSPORTATION INC
- MARSHALL’S EXPRESS, INC.
- SYSTEM FREIGHT, INC.There were no contributing weather conditions in 79% of Connecticut truck accidents.
Keeping obese trucks off the roads should be a higher priority along with the rest of the safety violations.
More than a half-million overweight trucks are allowed onto the nation’s roads and bridges — an increasingly routine practice that some officials say adds dangerous wear and tear.
Some experts warn that the practice of issuing state permits allowing overweight trucks can weaken steel and concrete, which may have contributed to the Minneapolis bridge collapse Aug. 1 that killed 13 people.
Weight-limit waivers common
The weight limit for nearly all interstate highways is 40 tons. According to a government study, one 40-ton truck does as much damage to the road as 9,600 cars.
Some states grant permits that allow trucks to be considerably heavier. More than 500,000 overweight trucks were allowed to traverse the nation’s bridges and highways at will in the past year, according to an AP figures from 50 states. The numbers do not include vehicles that states allow to operate without overweight-load permits. In Texas, vehicles transporting ready-mix concrete, milk, solid waste, recyclable materials or seed cotton are exempt.
The cumulative effect of trucks on roads is one thing, but bridges are even more susceptible.
The cumulative effect of stress on bridges can prove deadly. Engineers liken it to bending a paper clip: It bends again and again but eventually snaps. In 2000, Milwaukee’s Hoan Bridge collapsed when steel girders cracked. Traffic from heavy trucks, some overweight, shared the blame.
Locally, its easy to see how the through roads have more potholes, more erosion than side roads. Getting heavy trucks off the roads is the smart thing to do.
source: The Advocate, Crackdown nets $75K in fines, By Mark Ginocchio, September 26 2007
source: The Star Telegram, Overweight trucks hit U.S. highways hard, By April Castro, September 11, 2007
