Washington state idling rule revision dead

A Washington state legislative pursuit to revise truck idling rules appears to be dead for the year. Vehicle idling rule revisions remain active elsewhere.

Washington Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, introduced legislation late last month that would fall in line with truck idling rules set by California regulation.

The Golden State applies an idling restriction for diesel trucks and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 10,000 pounds. Affected vehicles are permitted to idle for up to five minutes.

Violators face fines ranging from $300 to $1,000 per day. Certain exceptions apply.

Liias’ bill called for adopting the five-minute idling rule.

The idling time limit also would apply to diesel-fueled auxiliary power systems at locations within 100 feet of a restricted area. Affected areas would include housing units, hotels, motels, hospitals and child care facilities.

SB6304 sought to permit any police officer to issue a citation, in addition to air pollution control authorities.

Fines amounts would be identical to amounts set in California. The Washington bill called for permitting additional penalties for violators who do not pay fines within 90 days.

The Senate Transportation Committee met recently to discuss the bill, which also included other transportation provisions such as a tire mandate on passenger vehicles.

Concern about the tire provision ultimately resulted in the committee deciding to kill the bill for the year.

Truck group urges slow-down on issue

The Washington Trucking Association led a local coalition to communicate with legislators concerning the proposed idling rule.

Speaking at the recent hearing, WTA’s Jeff DeVere told committee members the legislation simply adopts California regulations without considering all factors.

“It seems we’re just going to wholesale adopt those rules without consideration to the environment we have here in Washington,” DeVere testified.

He urged lawmakers to slow down on the issue.

“We need to start looking past just putting this on the backs of trucks,” he said.

DeVere added that instead, it is important to address inefficiencies in the supply chain. Needed improvements would allow truck drivers to get the job done as demanded by consumers, he also noted.

Dead but not done

Despite the concerns voiced by Washington truckers, the state trucking association expects the idling issue to reemerge once the January 2025 session convenes.

Washington state truck drivers are encouraged to communicate to state lawmakers their concerns about adopting the California-style rule. LL

More Land Line coverage of Washington news is available.