Would heavier trucks tear up the nation's roads?

A coalition of more than 1,000 state and local officials is urging members of Congress to oppose companies’ calls for an increase in federal truck weight and size requirements as part of the omnibus spending bill.

The federal weight limit for trucks is 80,000 pounds. However, the Safer Hauling and Infrastructure Protection coalition, comprising more than 80 associations and companies such as Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola, support a pilot program permitting a small number of states to “opt-in and voluntarily study the overall impact of a modern, six-axle, 91,000-pound truck configuration.”