WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today received the Truck Safety Coalition Leadership Award from the Truck Safety Coalition for his leadership to stop a federal mandate that would allow large trucks to pull double 33-foot trailers on the nation’s highways.

“I am honored to receive this award, and I applaud the work of the Truck Safety Coalition for its dedicated efforts to keep America’s highways safe,” Wicker said. “States are in the best position to make safety decisions about truck size – not Washington.”

“The Truck Safety Coalition today recognizes Senator Roger Wicker with a Truck Safety Leadership Award for his efforts to keep bigger and heavier trucks, including double 33s, off America’s highways,” said John Lannen, executive director of the Truck Safety Coalition. “His leadership will help keep the nation’s roads safer.”

The Truck Safety Leadership Awards were given during the group’s biennial Sorrow to Strength conference that brings together truck safety victims and families for four days of remembrance, workshops, and meetings with Members of Congress and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials to advance truck safety.

On Wednesday, Wicker is drawing attention to the dangers of twin 33-foot trucks at a press conference with Senators Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Earlier this year, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the transportation funding bill requiring states to allow trucks with two 33-foot trailers on their highways, which measure approximately 91 feet in total length. Current federal law permits double 28-foot trailers. DOT has advised that there is currently not enough data to draw firm conclusions on the safety implications of double 33-foot trailers and recommends that no changes to truck size be considered at this time.

The Truck Safety Coalition is a partnership between Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) and Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT). It is dedicated to reducing death and injury caused by truck-related crashes, providing compassionate support to truck crash survivors and families of truck crash victims, and educating the public, policy-makers, and media about truck safety issues.

Included in photo, from left to right: 

• John Lannen, Executive Director, Truck Safety Coalition
• Jane Mathis, Vice President, Truck Safety Coalition
• Senator Roger Wicker
• Susan Owings, volunteer
• Steve Owings, volunteer