OOIDA on EPA’s emission standards: ‘A crazy, new world’

April 21, 2023

Tyson Fisher

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Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President and CEO Todd Spencer appeared on Fox Business to talk about the impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest emission standards.

On April 19, Spencer appeared on the Fox Business show “Kudlow” to talk about the EPA’s strict emission standards. “Kudlow” is hosted by Larry Kudlow, a financial expert who served as the director of the National Economic Council during the Trump administration.

During his segment, Spencer pointed out that a lot of the federal regulations that oversee trucking operations come from the pressure of big carriers.

“(Big carriers) say clever things like ‘level the playing field’ and things like that,” Spencer said. “Basically, what it means is they want to make it harder for small businesses, and that frustrates us a lot.”

 

 

Kudlow asked Spencer about reliability of electric vehicles and on-time delivery.

“This is a crazy, new world that certainly confronts truckers,” Spencer said. “Most of trucking is made up of small business … When we look at what’s being proposed by EPA and what’s being proposed by CARB, we’re talking about significant increases in cost.”

Spencer went on to say that the additional costs to meet EPA’s emission standards could be as high as “thousands and thousands of dollars” for equipment that may or may not work.

EPA’s emission standards

On April 12, the Biden administration announced the proposal of two new rules regarding vehicle emissions. One rule deals with emissions from passenger vehicles. The second rule updates emission standards for buses, freight trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles.

The EPA’s proposed emission standards for heavy trucks would require a quarter of new heavy trucks sold in the U.S. to be all-electric by 2032.

OOIDA calls the rulemaking “hurried” and points out the lack of a national charging infrastructure. OOIDA President Todd Spencer issued the following statement:

“The Biden-Harris EPA is continuing their regulatory blitz on small-business truckers. The latest proposal comes on the heels of a hurried nitrogen oxide emissions rulemaking finalized in December along with a California waiver mandating sales of electric trucks. Today’s announcement is a blatant attempt to force consumers into purchasing electric vehicles while a national charging infrastructure network remains absent for heavy-duty commercial trucks. Professional drivers are skeptical of (electric vehicle) costs, mileage range, battery weight and safety, charging time, and availability. It’s baffling that the EPA is pushing forward with more impractical emissions timelines without first addressing these overwhelming concerns with electric (commercial motor vehicles). The pursuit of this radical environmental agenda in conjunction with an anticipated speed limiter mandate will regulate the safest and most experienced truckers off the road.”

On the same day as the EPA announcement, a Gallup poll regarding Americans’ thoughts on electric vehicles was released. According to the poll, more than 40% of Americans would not buy an electric vehicle, with another 43% indicating they might consider an electric vehicle in the future. Only 12% said they are seriously considering one, and 4% actually own an electric vehicle. LL