Anti-truck group says nation’s bridges at risk if Congress allows bigger trucks

A new study by the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) found that congressional proposals to allow heavier tractor trailers on highways would lead to major damages to the nation’s local bridges if enacted into law.

It’s an update on an earlier 2023 report by CABT, which describes itself as a nonprofit grassroots organization with coalitions of approximately 3,000 local supporters in all 50 states. CABT says its supporters include law enforcement officers, local government officials, truck drivers, motorists, safety advocates, railroads and trucking companies.

This is a crucial year for highway funding by Congress. Work already has been done in reauthorizing a multi-year highway funding measure. That already has sent Washington lobbyists into overdrive working on this must-pass legislation.

CABT recently conducted a Capitol Hill fly-in to advocate to lawmakers against truck size and weight increases in face-to-face meetings with various congressional representatives.

The study’s findings show the likely impact of proposed legislation to raise truck weights from the current limit of 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds or more by evaluating local bridges off the National Highway System.

“The CABT report should serve to put the brakes on any of the proposals under consideration in Congress to allow bigger trucks,” said Kevan Stone, executive director of the National Association of County Engineers. “The cost to counties and to taxpayers would simply be too great.”

The study was conducted in coordination with county infrastructure experts from around the country. CABT says the study used the most current available data about the physical condition of the nation’s bridges and bridge replacement costs. It incorporates a methodology developed with county officials, including the engineers who have designed, maintained and inspected these bridges.

Key findings of the study found the following:

• Depending on the proposed heavier truck configurations, between 65,157 and 82,457 local bridges nationwide would be at risk if Congress allowed heavier trucks on the nation’s highways; and
• The cost of replacing these local bridges ranges from an estimated $70.5 billion to $98.5 billion, depending on the gross vehicle weight. This represents an increase from the 2023 finding of an estimated $54.6 billion to $78.4 billion, largely due to the increased cost of bridge replacement

These at-risk bridges represent a sizable portion of the nation’s bridge infrastructure, located on local roads and highways that are critical for everyday transportation and commerce.

The report comes on the heels of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report examining the physical health of the nation’s bridges. The NTSB was investigating the collision of the cargo ship Dali, which struck Baltimore’s Key Bridge in March 2024, causing that structure to collapse into the Patapsco River, killing six bridge maintenance workers.

In a related development, the ATA is praising congressional leaders for introducing legislation to repeal the antiquated federal excise tax on the purchase of new trucks and trailers.

The Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act of 2025 was introduced in the House by a bipartisan coalition of Congressmen led by Reps. Doug LaMalfa (R-California), Chris Pappas (D-New Hampshire), Darin LaHood (R-Illinois), Salud Carbajal (D-California), and Max Miller (R-Ohio).  

“First implemented over a century ago to help finance America’s effort in World War I, the federal truck tax has become the largest excise tax on any product, adding $24,000 to the cost of each new clean-diesel tractor-trailer,” ATA President & CEO Chris Spear said. “Keeping this antiquated tax on the books imposes an enormous hardship, particularly for the small fleets, family businesses and independent truckers who make up the overwhelming majority of trucking.  Removing this burden will allow motor carriers to replace their trucks with modern, safer, and cleaner equipment, which will in turn provide a boost to manufacturing jobs.” 

CABT says bridges across all 50 states would suffer if any of the congressional proposals on longer, heavier trucks became law.

The states with the highest potential replacement costs include Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.

Since publication of the original CABT study in 2023, local officials have updated inspection data for bridges across the country as they have conducted more recent inspections. As a result, the new report offers a more precise snapshot of the current condition and load-bearing capacity of the 423,943 local bridges examined.