NATM APPLAUDS ENACTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION
Bill contains tandem trailer transport provision benefiting trailer
manufacturers and consumers, and provides long-term funding for
highway projects
President Barack Obama has signed into law legislation permitting the
tandem towing of light- and medium-duty trailers from manufacturers
to dealers throughout the United States that was a priority for the
National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (“NATM”). Included in
the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (H.R. 22, the “FAST
Act”), the new law will help consumers, lower freight costs, reduce
highway congestion and deterioration, and cut highway-based
emissions.
“The new law provides a safe, uniform national requirement for
transporting light- and medium-duty trailers nationwide, decreasing
the need for trailer manufacturers to transport their products to their
dealers one at a time,” said Pam Trusdale, Executive Director, NATM.
The provision, section 5523 of the FAST Act, permits light- and
medium-duty trailer manufacturers to deliver their products to
dealers in tandem combinations, subject to existing size and weight
restrictions. It includes appropriate safeguards to protect the
traveling public, requiring the trailers be empty and transported by
only professional drivers holding commercial driver’s license (CDL)
certifications. The measure was originally adopted as part of the
House-passed version of H.R. 22 after Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR-1),
Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-2), Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), and Eddie Bernice Johnson
(D-TX-30) offered it as an amendment on the House floor. The
House provision was then accepted during a conference to reconcile
differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
The FAST Act also eliminates uncertainty about long-term funding
for transportation projects, facilitating investments into U.S.
transportation infrastructure. The increased construction that will flow
from the bill will benefit the light- and medium-duty trailer sector,
as more trailers are purchased to support those projects. It also will
help to ensure that the nation’s highways and roadways are wellmaintained, which is important to highway safety.
NATM and its members provided tremendous
support for this industry initiative, making
numerous trips to Washington, D.C. to meet
with Members of Congress to educate
them about this tandem towing issue and
offering support for a transportation reauthorization bill. NATM was
represented by K&L Gates LLP in Washington, D.C. on the legislation.
The National Association of Manufacturers also supported the FAST
Act and the tandem towing legislation. www.natm.com.
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