Jamie Foster

The law enforcement leaders of the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) are asking the nation’s governors to ensure that truck weight limits are returned to safe levels after the pandemic crisis passes.

Congress has allowed temporary increases in weight limits in response to the pandemic. Any increase in truck weight limits to help weather this crisis should remain only temporary, they recently wrote to all governors. The weight increases must “be strictly limited to the duration of the crisis and apply only to qualifying relief supplies.”

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Facing an “unprecedented drop” in freight traffic, Union Pacific President and CEO Lance Fritz announced Tuesday four weeks of required unpaid leave and pay cuts for executives and board members of the Omaha-based railroad.

“Many of our customers have reduced or halted production and overall freight transportation has declined dramatically,” wrote Fritz in an email to Union Pacific employees.

“Union Pacific has enacted several cost-saving measures, but they are not sufficient to offset the significant decline in volume. Accordingly, the railroad also is implementing changes that will impact our workforce,” a statement from the company said.

Every non-union UP employee will take one week of unpaid leave in May, June, July and August, according to Fritz’s memo. Executives and board members will see a 25% reduction in pay over that same time period.

“I considered many possible scenarios, including furloughs or permanent workforce reductions,” wrote Fritz in the email. Fritz said ultimately the leaves and pay cuts meet UP’s short-term needs.

Fritz noted UP has canceled its 2020 summer internship program, reduced or eliminated non-agreement hiring, and eliminated nonessential spending through the end of 2020.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) late last week unveiled a notice of funding opportunity for up to $311.8 million in capital projects under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program.

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