American Truck Dealers Oppose New Fuel Economy Legislation

The dealers and drivers that form the commercial truck industry opposed in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood the Senate bill that would invalidate fuel economy rules established by the Congress under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007.

The new legislation, currently before the Senate (S. 1733, "Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act") would take away the authority of the Department of Transportation (DOT) in determining fuel economy rules for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and pass it over to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The American Truck Dealers (ATD), a division of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association are against this bill arguing the EPA would be granted authority to set fuel economy standards without considering the impact on economy. Basically they fear the EPA would enforce fuel economy and emissions standards below what the country’s commercial truck fleet would achieve with their current vehicles and business framework.

"There are important reasons why the DOT should oppose a de facto repeal of the CAFE program for heavy-duty trucks in favor of an EPA regulation," the trade groups stated in the letter.

"Under EISA, fuel economy standards must be economically practicable, meaning that the Secretary must consider such important factors as job loss, consumer choice ... and the health of the U.S. truck industry," the trade groups stated. "Congress mandated that the Secretary take these important considerations into account because it would not serve the nation's interests to set fuel economy standards that ignore these critical economic factors."