New emission regulations for heavy-duty engines and vehicles in the United States have been issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These regulations are more comprehensive than their predecessors and apply to various engine configurations.
Truckers, however, say that new requirements would encourage green energy at the cost of the economy and the food supply, which is a significant problem. More than nine out of 10 trucking firms have a fleet of ten vehicles or less. Many small trucking businesses might go out of business due to the EPA’s clean energy rules, leading to a severe shortage of trucks on the road and higher prices for consumers.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) predicts that the price of the equipment needed to comply with the new regulation would be between $2,568 and $8,304 for each vehicle, while the American Truck Dealers Association (ATDA) predicts that the price will likely rise by $42,000 per truck. The program might cost as much as $55 billion due to this new law.
A “regulatory assault on small-business truckers,” as the President of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) Todd Spencer, put it, is being launched by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He said the EPA was pushing for unrealistic pollution targets without addressing the problems that come with electric trucks and buses.
Republican Senator Deb Fischer introduced a resolution to halt the EPA requirement in April, which the Senate and House of Representatives approved in May. Concerns about the restrictions were shared by members of Congress from both parties, who sent a letter to the EPA.
Twenty states filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when it allowed California to adopt its own vehicle emissions rules, essentially barring the sale of gas and diesel trucks. The sale of gas and diesel trucks in California will be outlawed by 2045. State attorneys general are concerned that the California regulation will have far-reaching effects on the whole trucking sector and the rest of the nation. Eight others have adopted the state’s laws, and Connecticut, Maine, and North Carolina legislatures are considering doing the same.
Since 70% of all commodities in America are trucked, the established transportation supply chain is at risk. Due to the fragility of the food supply system, supermarkets in the United States would likely run out of food within 72 hours if all transportation ceased. The administration must study the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak and collaborate to discover answers to maintain normal operations and continue feeding the American people.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has suggested national vehicle emissions rules to enhance air quality and address the climate catastrophe, and it has taken into account the viability of smaller trucking enterprises for the success of electric car adoption.
