On trucking safety.

Now that the extractive trucking lobby has its own anonymous apologist, perhaps we can have that long overdue discussion about what "trucking safety" really means for the rest of us.

Bluegill wins serve.

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It's interesting to hear and read so much sudden concern about trucking safety, particularly regarding oversized loads. The state department of transportation has very clear rules about special permits, restricted hauling hours, the need for escort vehicles, etc., when hauling such loads. It's anecdotal but, in nearly a decade of living and working in Downtown and Midtown New Albany, neither my wife nor I have never seen an escort vehicle and certainly not the state police escort required for extremely large loads. How is that possible if oversized loads are so prevalent for these companies? Are they overstating their case or just ignoring the rules as is? If large loads are happening so frequently, is the City doing anything to enforce those safety rules?

As a corollary, I had a conversation a few days ago with someone who, until very recently, was employed by a New Albany trucking firm. He, too, lamented the Main Street Project, making it very clear that truck traffic had been diverted to other streets, especially oversized loads. He further explained, saying that "all it's going to do is tear up the other streets, because they're not built for that". So, if trucking companies are regularly using and damaging streets not built for their rigors, who pays to repair them? And why are they allowed to use them in the first place?