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Trucking industry still waiting on fuel-efficiency proposal

With a public hearing in the books and a second one scheduled later this week, the trucking industry is still waiting for the official notice of proposed rulemaking that seeks to create fuel mileage and emission standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks to be published to the Federal Register.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believe medium- and heavy-duty trucks can obtain 10 to 20 percent better fuel economy and 20 percent reductions in harmful emissions using technology that exists today. The regulators say a final rule could be in place by the end of July 2011, targeting model years 2014-2018 for the improvements to be made at the manufacturing level.

The numbers for fuel consumption and emissions are based on goals set in May by President Obama.

Regulators from the EPA and NHTSA held the first public hearing on Monday, Nov. 15, in Chicago, based on a 673-page draft of a notice of proposed rulemaking that the agencies announced on Oct. 25.

The second hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 18, at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139–4896.

Regulators are seeking oral comments on the 673-page proposal as well as NHTSA’s draft environmental impact statement which is a supplement to the proposed rule.

As part of the public process, the EPA and NHTSA will open a 60-day public-comment period once the notice of proposed rulemaking officially publishes to the Federal Register. OOIDA is preparing to make comments during that time.

According to the EPA and NHTSA, the proposed rules would affect combination tractors, heavy-duty pickups and vans, and vocational vehicles, model years 2014-2018, at the manufacturing level. Criteria such as aerodynamics, lighter materials, speed limiters and anti-idling technology make the list of “existing technology” that could be implemented.

OOIDA leadership is concerned with the additional costs that will be added to new trucks. Association leadership believes many small-business truckers may not be able to afford new trucks and will therefore hold on to equipment longer.

Regulators continue to say that increased costs will be recouped many times over during the life of a compliant vehicle.

“For example, it is estimated an operator of a semi truck could pay for the technology upgrades in under a year, and save as much as $74,000 over the truck’s useful life,” EPA/NHTSA officials said in a recent press release. “Vehicles with lower annual miles would typically experience longer payback periods, up to four or five years, but would still reap cost-savings.”

During the first public hearing on the topic, many of the comments from Truck Manufacturers Association, Engine Manufacturers Association, Ford, Navistar and others were in favor of federal agencies moving forward on the new standards.

A few making comments, including Kyle Treadway, chairman of American Truck Dealers division of the National Automobile Dealers Association, urged the agencies to be realistic about the proposed standards.

“First, any new fuel economy regulations must meet the statute’s requirement that [fuel economy rules] be ‘appropriate, cost-effective and technologically feasible,’ ” Treadway stated. If these three criteria are not met, “prospective customers will not purchase new vehicles and engines, reducing sales and leaving stock vehicles languishing on dealer lots,” he said.

Another speaker urged EPA and NHTSA to avoid including mandates on low-rolling-resistance tires in the final rule, saying that efficiency should not come at the expense of traction.

– By David Tanner, associate editor
[email protected]

See related articles:
Trucks of the future will be more efficient, but costlier
OOIDA airs additional concerns about proposed mileage standard

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