WASHINGTON — A bill allowing states to increase trucks weights to 97,000-pounds on six-axles was introduced in the Senate Thursday.

The legislation – named the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (SETA) — would effectively end a federal freeze on changes in truck sizes and weights.

Like identical companion legislation pending in the House, SETA gives each state the option to selectively raise interstate weight limits from 80,000 pounds to up to 97,000 lbs for six-axle vehicles instead of the standard five.

The Coalition for Transportation Productivity, a group of more than 180 shippers and allied associations, praised the bill as a way to reduce fuel and costs while increasing productivity.

“SETA is a narrowly drawn bill that enables companies to move a given amount of product in fewer vehicles without adding more weight per tire or increasing stopping distances,” said CTP Executive Director John Runyan. “Even though higher productivity, six-axle trucks are undeniably safe and more efficient, SETA still puts the decision into the hands of state officials, who are best equipped to determine if the configuration makes sense in their states.”

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) estimates that if current weight restrictions remain the same, the industry will require 18 percent more trucks on the road driving 27 percent more miles than they do now.