Because I am not a “confused fat cat,” only a hard working truck driver, I feel it necessary to respond to Mr. Guy Bourrie’s column, “An old battle: Productivity vs. safety,” in the April 17 Sun Journal.
For him to suggest that allowing trucks over 80,000 pounds on the highways is something new and dangerous is completely false and misleading. Tri-axle trucks (22 wheels) weighing up to 100,000 pounds have been traveling this state’s highways for years. I, along with many other drivers, operate them every day.
The main question to be asked is when will the federal government allow tri-axle 100,000 pound trucks access to its interstate highways? What is the reasoning behind banning these trucks from the federal interstate highway, yet at the same time allowing them to travel the Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, etc., turnpikes and all other state maintained roads?
Please, Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, let my tri-axle 100,000 pound truck travel on I-95 where it belongs with the other heavy vehicles so that I can be home a half-hour earlier and eliminate the traffic safety hazard of being forced to travel two lane state highways through seven towns and 15 traffic lights while all the time being aware of oncoming traffic and vehicles entering my lane of travel from driveways and side roads.
Ron Forrester, Auburn
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