Truck weights are important from a road maintenance perspective, since heavier trucks especially those that are not load balanced do a disproportionate amount of damage to roads. Moreover, these heavier, unbalanced trucks do not pay their share of the damage they cause. Therefore truck weights are tracked at truck weigh stations when they are open and by electronic means for larger trucking firms. It is therefore significant that Connecticut has the highest proportion of it s trucks in the heaviest Class VIII category. It is more difficult for motorists to negotiate around longer trucks and multiple trailer trucks.
Large trucks tend to block visibility.
During commute hours, larger trucks take up more space on the road, the equivalent of three or even four cars in length. Connecticut DOT, Volume By Type Report, October 11, 1995. Figure 7 shows the distribution of trucks, by size on I-95 in both directions at Norwalk. The Connecticut Fund for the Environment is a non-profit organization working to protect environmental quality across our state. Please join us or make a donation to support our work.