The American Truck Dealers (ATD) hosted a packed house for the 2023 Truck Industry Forum. The sold-out event addressed the industry’s most pressing issues before sending truck dealers to Capitol Hill to hold nearly 100 meetings with members of Congress to advocate for truck dealer legislative priorities.
Issues on the agenda included the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently proposed Phase 3 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) standards for heavy-duty vehicles, the EPA’s heavy-duty low-NOx rule, repealing the federal excise tax (FET) on heavy-duty tractors and trailers, and catalytic converter anti-theft legislation.
While the trucking industry supports reducing emissions and putting cleaner and greener vehicles on the road, the EPA’s proposed regulations mandate stringent electric adoption targets and timelines that could slow down rather than accelerate electric vehicle investments. Much of the presentations at the Forum focused on federal regulatory and legislative advocacy efforts to address this important issue.
The hot topic: “We are committed to the transition to a zero emission future. For this to be successful, the aggressive deployment of zero emission trucks has to be matched by an equal focus on establishing the necessary infrastructure, support network and supply chain," said Carl Hergart from PACCAR.
The future of electrification: “The reality is it’s a big challenge,” said Paul Rosa from Penske, citing range, cost, time, weight, and charging infrastructure as the biggest challenges facing EV adoption. Panelists speaking about electric commercial vehicles discussed the obstacles to customer adoption and how the regulatory landscape is at odds with a realistic timeline.
Advice from the electric utility companies: “Ask the customer if they have a charging strategy. The infrastructure really matters. Your charging strategy will affect your capital cost and your operational cost,” said Kellen Schefter from the Edison Electric Institute, which represents the investor-owned utility companies that provide 70 percent of the electric usage in the U.S.
Economic outlook: Trucking expert Avery Vise from FTR Transportation Intelligence described consumer spending on goods as “solid,” which creates a healthy demand for trucking equipment.
Though still inconsistent, the supply chain is improving with the Class 8 backlog below 200,000 for the first time since 2020. The backlog to build ratio, which indicates the industry lead time on inventory, is at 6.8 months, also its lowest since 2020.
Call to action: “Our future depends on our ability to get engaged and shape outcomes,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, before the dealers travelled to Capitol Hill to meet with their legislators. “The most important thing that you can do is make an ask. You are the heartbeat of the country’s economy. This industry is essential.”
From Capitol Hill: There is bipartisan support for the trucking priorities in Congress.
Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), who proudly holds the title of the only trucker in Congress, came to the Forum to address the attendees. Rep. Collins grew his Georgia trucking business from just one semi-truck to a fleet of 115, and now is educating other members of Congress and government agencies on the trucking industry.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) also addressed the Forum, emphasizing the need to invest wisely in infrastructure and provide oversight to the agencies that regulate the industry, including the EPA.
ATD Chairman Scott McCandless was energized by the day of “open dialogue…about what it takes to move our great industry forward.”
“We need to work with one another to find solutions,” McCandless said.
Thank you to the 2023 ATD Forum Platinum sponsors: [platinum level] BMO, CDK Global, Daimler Truck, Isuzu, International, Mack, and Procede Software, and [gold level] Cummins, Hino, Interstate Billing, KEA Advisors, Kenworth, and Peterbilt.
