Will new trucks be affordable and reliable?
That’s the biggest question on the minds of thousands of truck dealers. This pivotal issue is why ATD helped launch the new Clean Freight Coalition (CFC). Comprised of ATD and four other truck transportation trade groups, the CFC will serve as the national voice for trucking industry stakeholders to promote sound public policies that advance clean and green trucks.
I have been ATD Chairman for over a year now. During that time, I’ve learned how mandates coming from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) keep truck dealers up at night. Whether it’s new federal or state nitrogen oxide (NOx) regulations, or the latest greenhouse gas and fuel economy rules, these policies come with costs and burdens; and America’s truck dealers are right to be concerned about how they will impact the truck market. As I’ve said before, when mandates are overly stringent, they lead to major market upheaval and reliability concerns. Unreasonable polices can disrupt the entire trucking industry by dramatically raising costs for customers, increasing unemployment, and delaying the purchase of cleaner and safer trucks.
Certain that the onslaught of mandates will continue, ATD has united with other key industry players to solidify our efforts. The CFC is comprised of truck dealers, truck manufacturers, and motor carriers of every size and sector. Our fellow founding members include the American Trucking Associations (ATA); the National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC); the Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA); and the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).
ATD’s leadership is excited this new coalition will yield a united front for reasonable and appropriate government policies. We will share amazing stories about today’s cleaner and greener trucks and how they are essential to daily commerce and transportation. We all know that almost every product in a home or office travelled by truck at some point and that vocational trucks, from dump trucks to concrete trucks, keep our economy moving. Unfortunately, policymakers do not hear this narrative enough.
Truck dealers have been working hard to sell and service the latest generation of trucks, but we need to make sure that new trucks covered by new mandates are kept affordable and reliable for our customers. And if we can get new policies right, customers will embrace buying new equipment, yielding benefits to both the environment and the economy alike.
The CFC will be a voice of reason on this front and will weigh in with key decision makers on the policy proposals that could impact your truck dealerships. It will collect data, share studies, and present testimonies on the amazing progress we’ve made for deploying modern trucks and reducing emissions. And it will be a platform to share small business dealer stories; highlight the lessons learned from past policy missteps; and shine a spotlight on today’s clean and green trucks, and to support continuous improvements in the future.
ATD is honored to be a founding member of this important coalition. We will work hard to educate policymakers and navigate the complex regulatory and legislative landscape ahead. Together, I know we can shape the outcome for the better!
