BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: SB 1174 SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: walters VERSION: 4/12/12 Analysis by: Carrie Cornwell FISCAL: yes Hearing date: April 24, 2012 REVISED SUBJECT: Vehicle length exemption: motor sports DESCRIPTION: This bill permits extra-long semitrailers of up to 56 feet, if the semitrailer is used primarily in connection with motorsports. ANALYSIS: Most large trucks on the highway are truck tractor-trailer combinations. Typically, a truck tractor pulls a semitrailer. A semitrailer is a trailer that is constructed so that some part of its weight and load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle, usually a truck tractor. A kingpin is the main pin used to connect a semitrailer to a tractor truck. The distance from the kingpin to the rear axle, referred to as KP-RA length, determines the width of the turning radius of the tractor-trailer combination. Generally, any increase in the wheelbase of any vehicle in a combination of vehicles will result in more roadway used to complete a turn. On specified federal and state routes, existing law allows semitrailers of up to 53 feet with a maximum KP-RA distance for a semitrailer with 2 axels of not more than 40 feet, provided the truck tractor is pulling only the semitrailer. Existing state law also authorizes Caltrans or a local authority, for highways under their respective jurisdictions, to issue special permits authorizing vehicle combinations consisting of a truck tractor-semitrailer with a KP-RA distance of no more than 46 feet for vehicles used primarily in connection with motorsports. These semitrailers also may be up SB 1174 (WALTERS) Page 2 to 53 feet in length, as existing law limits semitrailers in California to a length of no more than 53 feet. Existing law defines motorsports to mean an event, and all activities leading up to that event, that an organization of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States has sanctioned. This bill deletes the authorization for Caltrans or a local authority to issue permits for over- length vehicles used primarily in connection with motorsports. Instead, the bill explicitly permits semitrailers of up to 56 feet in length, if the distance from the KP- RA is not more than 46 feet and the semitrailer is used primarily in connection with motorsports. COMMENTS: 1.Purpose . The author states that even though motorsport trailers meet both weight and kingpin to rear axle requirements, their overall length of 56 feet is 3 feet longer than state law allows. When law enforcement measures and impounds these 56-foot trailers, it costs racing teams tens of thousands of dollars and gives them a disincentive to participate at events held in California. The author asserts that all other states offer these motorsports trailers either an exemption or a permitting process, or they simply withhold enforcement so the trailers can operate within their jurisdictions. Proponents contend that California is the only state that intentionally fines and impounds these trailers for being longer than the 53 feet and state that failure to change the law could result in racing organizations and teams pulling out of events in California to avoid the risk of these costly regulations. This would have a negative impact on any potential economic recovery and would also result in General Fund revenue reductions. The author introduced this bill to make these longer trailers legal. 2.Federal law . Federal law, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, governs semitrailer lengths in each state, and regulations implementing that law read in part that "no state shall prohibit the use of ? semitrailers of such dimensions as those that were in actual and lawful use in such SB 1174 (WALTERS) Page 3 State on December 1, 1982 ..." An appendix to the regulations show the "grandfathered" semitrailer length limits for each state, including 53 feet for California. Other state limits range from 48 feet in 25 states to 59 feet 6 inches in Oklahoma and Louisiana. Until very recently, Caltrans' representatives understood the federal law to pre-empt a change to state law to go beyond the 53-foot limit on semitrailers. Caltrans now understands that federal law pre-empts California from enacting a semitrailer length limit of less than 48 feet. The proponents of this bill, with supporting informal communication from the U.S. Department of Transportation, also assert that federal law allows states to set longer semitrailer length limits but not to go shorter. CHP does not concur and maintains that federal law would pre-empt California from implementing a longer semitrailer length limit. Further clarification from the federal government is needed to know whether this bill is pre-empted or not by federal law. 3.It all depends on the curves . Most state highway curves, including freeway on and off ramps, have a radius sufficient to accommodate a 46-foot KP-RA distance and a 56-foot semitrailer. Local roads may not. Where roads cannot accommodate these lengths, longer vehicles cross into oncoming traffic, creating a great risk of accident. Requiring that Caltrans and local road authorities issue permits to these vehicles, as existing law does for longer motorsport trailers, ensures that they do not travel on roads with curves that they cannot navigate. This bill both deletes the permit requirement and authorizes the longer semitrailers. The committee may wish to consider an amendment to keep the requirement that these longer vehicles get a permit from Caltrans or a local road authority before traveling on roads under their respective jurisdictions. 4.CHP enforcement history . Before 2005, law enforcement and CHP did not consistently enforce the 53-foot limit on semitrailers related to motorsports. After further review commenced under a new commissioner, CHP officers began ticketing and impounding vehicles with semitrailers exceeding the 53 foot length limit and have done so since 2005. 5.Arguments in opposition . Writing in opposition, the SB 1174 (WALTERS) Page 4 Teamsters and Amalgamated Transit Union both assert that they are opposed to allowing over-length vehicles on California's highways because such vehicles are dangerous to other motorists. In addition, opponents note that if this bill were enacted, it could result in the federal government withholding highway funding from California. POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday, April 18, 2012) SUPPORT: National Hot Rod Association (sponsor) Cruz Pedregon Racing OPPOSED: Amalgamated Transit Union Teamsters