BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1155|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1155
Author: Cannella (R)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 27 - Urgency
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 5-4, 4/10/12
AYES: Gaines, Harman, Rubio, Simitian, Wyland
NOES: DeSaulnier, Kehoe, Lowenthal, Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-1, 4/30/12
AYES: Walters, Alquist, Dutton, Lieu, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Kehoe
SUBJECT : Agricultural motor truck-trailer length
exemption:
San Benito County
SOURCE : Council of San Benito County Governments
DIGEST : This bill creates, until January 1, 2018, an
exemption from current vehicle length limits for motor
truck-trailer combinations used for transporting
agricultural products in San Benito County.
ANALYSIS : Motor trucks are vehicles designed and used
primarily for transporting goods in their rear cargo areas,
and they are not specifically designed to pull trailers.
These vehicles have no special coupling devices to prevent
rollovers when a trailer's load shifts, nor do they have
additional power to facilitate acceleration when pulling a
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load.
Truck tractors (or "big rigs") by contrast are designed and
used primarily for pulling trailers and only move goods by
pulling a trailer. Truck tractors have various safety
features, such as coupling devices or "fifth wheels," which
enable them to pull trailers in a safe manner.
Existing law prohibits any combination of vehicles coupled
together, including any attachments, from exceeding a total
length of 65 feet, with certain, specified exceptions,
including an exception that allows 75-foot long truck
tractor-trailer combinations, provided no trailer exceeds
28 feet 6 inches.
This bill:
1. Exempts until January 1, 2018 a combination of vehicles
operated in San Benito County from the length limitation
and authorizes the combination to have a total length of
not more than 75 feet if:
The local jurisdiction (city council or board of
supervisors) has approved the use of these vehicle
combinations on its roads.
The combination consists of a motor truck and two
trailers.
No trailer in the combination exceeds 28 feet, 6
inches in length.
The combination is used to transport agricultural
products from the field to the first point of handling
and return, and the total distance of transport does
not exceed 160 miles.
The combination is used to transport from the first
point of handling to a designated truck route, and the
total distance of transport does not exceed 30 miles.
The combination is not operated on a highway that
is designated as a national network route.
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The combination of vehicles is driven at a speed
not exceeding 50 miles per hour.
The combination of vehicles successfully completes
a California Highway Patrol (CHP) inspection on a
quarterly basis.
Agricultural entities, in consultation with CHP,
develop safe routing techniques.
2.Requires CHP, in consultation with the Department of
Transportation (Caltrans), to study the effect of this
exemption on public safety and to report the results of
its study to the Legislature and Governor by April 1,
2014.
Comments
CHP study required in previous legislation . SB 1237
(Maldnado), Chapter 450, Statutes of 2006, requires that
CHP in consultation with Caltrans report to the Legislature
and Governor on the public safety impacts of the exemption
for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. CHP issued
that report in 2008, with the following conclusions:
The study consisted of only approximately 200 vehicles in
a small geographical area of the state from January 2006
to August 2007.
It found that four accidents had occurred involving these
motor truck-trailer vehicle combinations. Of those four
accidents, all resulted in property damage only, and
three of the four appear to have been caused by the
exempted vehicle combinations and possibly because of the
configuration of using a motor truck to pull trailers. In
addition, the CHP conducted 865 inspections of these 200
vehicles and found 866 violations such as inoperable
lights, out-of-date vehicle registrations, and inadequate
vehicle couplings.
Caltrans' primary concern with authorizing longer motor
truck-trailer combinations was the inability of those
vehicle combinations to negotiate tight turns and the
type of coupling device utilized. One of the four
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collisions further supported concern for stability as the
trailer did roll over during evasive action. Another
collision demonstrated the vehicles' inability to
negotiate a tight turn without driving outside of its
lane. The report notes that both state and federal
studies support its safety concerns.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Annual costs of approximately $59,000 until 2018 for CHP
to conduct quarterly inspections of vehicle combinations
seeking the exemption (Motor Vehicle Account).
One-time costs of approximately $70,000 over two years to
compile statistical data and prepare a study of the
public safety impacts related to the exemption (Motor
Vehicle Account).
Minor and absorbable costs to Caltrans to consult with
CHP on the study. (State Highway Account)
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/1/12)
Council of San Benito County Governments (source)
Regional Council of Rural Counties
Western Growers
OPPOSITION : (Verified 5/1/12)
Amalgamated Transit Union
Teamsters
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author's office states that
CHP has been actively ticketing motor truck-trailer
combination vehicles in excess of the 65 feet limit that
drive on non-federal roads to and from agricultural
production centers in San Benito County. Many farms and
processing centers in San Benito County are accessible only
by these roads. San Benito farmers do not own the trucks
being ticketed but contract with trucking companies that
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are frequently located out-of-county and sometimes
out-of-state. These farmers cannot control which trucks
are sent to pick up their crops, and due to the
time-sensitive nature of the agricultural industry,
trucking companies often cannot wait until the appropriate
truck tractor-trailers become available to send to these
parts of the county. The author's office reports that
rather than face the costs of additional ticketing, some
trucking companies have stopped servicing certain parts of
San Benito County altogether.
The author's office asserts that San Benito's agricultural
industry cannot afford the losses caused by delayed crop
delivery. The author introduced this bill to exempt trucks
there from the length limits in force in California in
order to protect San Benito County's $255 million annual
agricultural production.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Writing in opposition, the
Teamsters and Amalgamated Transit Union both assert that
they are fundamentally opposed to increased truck weights
and size because such vehicles are dangerous to other
motorists, difficult to stop, and destroy the roads.
JJA:do 5/1/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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