Dear Volks people [lightweights]

As for big trucks:  Some years ago, maybe 8, I did some research on this
subject to determine the equality of the CA truck weight fee.  What I found
was that research had been done as far back as the '30s [by the US Army some
of it].  There was plenty of other research as well up through the 50-60's
[as I remember].  What it ALL showed was that there was not road wear caused
by vehicles under 18,000 pounds.  All wear is caused by vehicles over that
weight.  Also the wear is not linear, twice as heavy means far more than
twice as much wear.  It's not just weight but the space between the axles
that counts

My paper was buried.  No one in government wanted to hear that [probably why
there was no newer research].  The trucking industry REALLY doesn't want to
hear that.  Anecdotal proof is the I 580 and 880 [old highway 17] through
Oakland CA.  When 580 was built [in the 60's] it went through enough
expensive housing that they [the residents] were able to close it to big
trucks.  The trucking industry fought tooth and nail [I don't know this as
fact only as I was told at the time] because it would mean two highways,
parallel and essentially identical in construction one with heavy trucks,
one without [the argument they used was they helped pay for the roads they
should get to use them].  The ideal scientific test.  If you drive the two
roads today and look at the maintenance and rebuild records you will see
that 880 has been fixed and rebuilt a number of times.  To my knowledge 580
has never been rebuilt and shows almost no wear on the non truck portions.

Anyway since I did that research I've been convinced that heavy trucks pay
much more than cars for weight fees [road tax] but not nearly enough to pay
for the damage they do.

Mike
'85 Westy [it treads ever so lightly upon the roadway]
----- Original Message -----
From: LAWS HOME <backintime@TRITON.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: Good 'ol I-40

> Did I hear someone dissin' big trucks? *The highway is so abused by heavy
> trucking that the slabs are now bowed in the
> middle, exagerating the contact point at every expansion*
> While it is true the interstates  are in bad shape I must admit we have
much
> heavier trucks up here in Mi. Not that our roads are any better,
 probably
> not) ,