Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982
The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 raised federal fuel taxes for highways and transit and required states to allow larger trucks, including 48-foot semitrailers and twin trailers, on a national highway network.
What it requires
The Act raised the federal gasoline tax from 4 to 9 cents a gallon from April 1983, dedicated a share to transit, and required states to allow on the National Network trucks up to 80,000 pounds gross weight and 102 inches wide, with semitrailers of at least 48 feet and twin 28-foot trailers. States may not impose overall length limits on tractor-semitrailer combinations there. Most states allow 53-foot trailers under their own rules. The size and weight rules are codified at 23 CFR Part 658.
Why it matters
STAA sets the physical envelope of the US truckload network, which determines how much product fits in each load. Because states must allow 80,000-pound trucks and long trailers on the National Network, shippers plan around a 53-foot trailer holding about 26 standard pallets single-stacked. For example, a fulfillment center planning replenishment loads works within the 80,000-pound gross limit, which usually caps payload around 44,000 to 45,000 pounds. Dense products like beverages hit the weight limit before the trailer fills, so mixed loads can lower cost per unit.
Related laws
Sources
- Freight size and weight, FHWA ops.fhwa.dot.gov
- 23 CFR Part 658, Truck size and weight, eCFR ecfr.gov
Not legal advice.