In short, Mr. Chairman, every interested party engaged in the dayto-day issues associated with school transportation crafted and advanced this policy statement.

At this time, I would ask that a letter directed to you on May 3 from Cecil C. Dolin, State Director of School Transportation and Facilities for the State of West Virginia, Department of Education be included in the hearing record. In his thoughtful letter, Mr. Dolin speaks to the recommendations of the 1990 National Conference and embraces our view that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations must be applied comprehensively and consistently in the name of safety.

In conclusion, the time for preserving "sacred COWS" in our nation's highway safety laws and regulations has passed. The public must know that the highest possible safety standard will always be adhered to without regard to ownership, location, or prior law exemptions. This problem requires the Subcommittee's early attention. The Federal Highway Administration informs us that for it to pursue the necessary rulemaking that will remedy this problem, legislative direction is required. Today, we solicit your support for such legislative remedy, and thank you for your continuing commitment to safety on our nation's yellow school buses. I am pleased to respond to any questions which you or other members of this Subcommittee might wish to pose. Thank you.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SURFACE TRANSPORTATION OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION

HEARING ON
TRUCK SAFETY

JUNE 14, 1994

CHARLES RATLIFF
SENIOR GROUP MANAGER

FRITO-LAY, INC.

P.O. BOX 660634

DALLAS, TEXAS 75266

Mr. Chairman: I am Charles Ratliff, Senior Group Manager of

Operations for Frito-Lay, Inc., the nation's leading snack food company and a consistent supporter of trucking safety. An

operating division of PepsiCo, Frito-Lay employs more than 28,000 people nationwide, manufacturing and distributing over 100 product lines. My responsibilities include managing the company's fleet operations.

I am here today representing Frito-Lay as a member of the National Industrial Transportation League, which represents a broad spectrum of companies using all modes of transportation to move goods in intrastate, interstate and international commerce. As shippers, the safe movement of goods is our primary concern.

I thank Chairman Rahall and Members of the House Surface

Transportation Subcommittee for allowing me to refute H.R. 4496, the proposal to ban trailers longer than 53-feet.

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Let me begin by saying that at Frito-Lay, we are proud of the

professionalism of our drivers and the safety record of our fleet. Frito-Lay's total fleet of trucks is the third largest private carrier fleet in the country. Last year, our fleet traveled in excess of 231 million miles, consuming nearly 25 million gallons of fuel. More than 1,100 over-the-road drivers and 12,000 route sales

personnel deliver our products from our plants and distribution centers directly to retail outlets. Our distribution fleet, which includes 850 tractors and 2,100 trailers travels more than 76

million miles annually. It is this fleet that would be directly affected by the proposal to ban trailers longer than 53-feet.

Frito-Lay snack foods are light and bulky. Shipments of our finished goods almost always cube out long before reaching the 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight limit. We are not unique in

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this aspect. The ability to ship in longer trailers helps Frito-Lay

and other low density shippers reduce costs per unit of

transportation. Moreover, the increased productivity of these

larger trailers reduces the number of miles of wear and tear on our nation's highways. Like many shippers of light and bulky products, Frito-Lay has developed a highly efficient, cost-effective distribution system utilizing trailers designed to meet the allowable length restrictions in the various states.

A safe driving environment is a priority for Frito-Lay, not only to project a positive image to our customers and consumers, but to protect our employees and enhance the company's efficient operations. We are proud of the fact that more than one-third of

our over-the-road drivers have at least one million accident-free

miles under their belt, and 38 more have reached two million