Emission standards must not price truckers out of business, OOIDA says

Any mandates involving emission standards on heavy-duty trucks must wait until the technology is “affordable and reliable.”

That’s the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association’s message to a trio of senators who recently asked President Joe Biden to prioritize stronger standards. On Thursday, Oct. 28, OOIDA sent a letter to Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., informing them that the standards could put many of the safest truckers on the highway out of business.

“Clean air is a priority for everyone, including truckers, but the technology used in heavy-duty trucks to improve air quality has to be affordable and reliable,” OOIDA wrote in the letter signed by President Todd Spencer. “During previous emissions rulemakings, owner-operators were forced to use unproven technologies that priced them out of business.

“Any updates to NOx standards must result in practical, cost-effective standards that do not unfairly burden professional truckers.”

In August, Biden issued an executive order directing the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen emission standards for nitrogen oxides emitted by on-road diesel trucks across the nation. The order did not give EPA a specific target.

Murphy, Booker and Blumenthal wrote to Biden on Oct. 21, saying that a stronger national standard is needed.

“The California Air Resources Board approved adopting new NOx pollution standards for diesel trucks that are 90% more stringent than current federal limits, which have not changed in over 20 years,” the senators wrote. “The need for cleaner truckers, however, is not limited to California … Because trucks traveling across our states can be registered elsewhere, we need equivalent strong standards applied nationally to help address our ozone problem.”

OOIDA told the lawmakers that many of the standards have been short-sighted and informed them that its members spend an average of $3,000 each year on maintenance costs related to emissions and environmental equipment.

“For small carriers operating on extremely slim margins, these high costs for purchase and maintenance can be a major deterrent to purchasing newer, cleaner trucks,” OOIDA wrote.

OOIDA also pushed back against the assertion that the strict standards have worked in California.

“While it may be true that it is physically possible to meet California’s new standards, we have seen some small-business truckers leave the California market because the state’s requirements are simply unaffordable,” OOIDA wrote.

The Association urged the lawmakers to listen to the concerns of small-business truckers before trying to implement impractical standards.

“Without listening to these drivers and understanding the challenges they face in complying with government mandates, you risk putting them out of business and making the profession unattainable for future generations.” LL