During the CLDA Washington Fly-In members engaged with over 50 Members of Congress and their staffs . Most notably were meetings with the Chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee Virginia Foxx , Senator Krysten Sinema ( I-AZ ), and the HELP Committee staff who work for Senator Cassidy .
We also had an opportunity to discuss our work on the Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ) Indirect Air Carriers ( IAC ) program with the House and Senate Committees that have jurisdiction over the TSA . The House Homeland Security Committee asked for our help in writing questions for an upcoming hearing with TSA to promote our issue .
Sustainability and the Last Mile
Regulations regarding heavy-duty vehicles such as tractor-trailers , vocational vehicles , and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans remains in a state of flux . The EPA is expected to release emissions standards for these vehicles soon .
Last year the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) proposed sweeping new greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions standards for mobile emissions sources including heavy-duty vehicles . The Agency initially indicated that these rules would be published by the end of 2023 , however the timeline has been pushed back .
Here ’ s some background on where we are on the implementation of these standards :
On April 12 , 2023 , the EPA announced its proposed rule for GHG Emission Standards for heavy-duty vehicles like tractor-trailers , vocational vehicles , heavy-duty pick-up tracks and vans . This is known as the Phase 3 GHG program . The program ’ s goal was to reduce emissions for model year ( MY ) 2027-2032 heavy-duty vehicles . The proposed standards were initially set to take effect for heavy-duty vehicles manufactured for MY2027 and beyond . These standards would require the manufacturers to reduce tailpipe emissions of NOx by nearly 80 % and particulate matter ( PM ) by as much as 50 % compared with the Phase 2 emission standards . According to the EPA , the Phase 3 proposal would provide $ 29 billion in annual net benefits to Americans , reducing poor air quality . This would reduce childhood asthma , and other respiratory and cardiac illnesses .
The EPA has acknowledged that Phase 3 standards and the needed changed in associated technology to adapt to them will add $ 2,500 to $ 8,300 in costs to each heavy-duty vehicle . However , some industry stakeholders believe this estimate is low . They believe that the costs could be up to 50 % for vocational vehicles and between 25-35 % for tractor trailers .
In fact , the Phase 3 proposed regulation has caused a divide among truck engine and part manufacturers . In recent weeks a group of four industry manufacturers formed the Heavy-Duty Leadership Group to support the Phase 3 regulation . This group called for the EPA to finalize the regulation by the end of March 2024 . Opposite them are companies like Daimler , Navistar , and Volvo that formed their own group , called the Powering America ’ s Commercial Transportation . This group advocates for a more economically feasible final Phase 3 regulation .
The Agency initially indicated that the final Phase 3 rule would be published by the end of 2023 , however the timeline has been pushed back . This delay followed a bicameral letter led by Senators Padilla ( D-CA ), Markey ( D-MA ), Carper ( D-DE ), and Heinrich ( D-NM ) alongside several dozen House Democrats urging the EPA to issue the “ strongest feasible GHG Emission Standards .” In addition , some environmental groups , manufacturers , and various stakeholders urged the
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