ATD says fuel economy/GHG rules must encourage new truck, equipment sales

Aug. 12, 2015

In testimony in Chicago at a joint US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hearing, Eric Jorgensen, chairman of the American Truck Dealers (ATD), explained “why truck and engine efficiency standards must be affordable and not compromise performance, why the standards must be uniform nationwide and why doing the rule right is more important than doing it quickly.”

Jorgensen was among participating in an August 6 government hearing on the Obama Administration’s Phase 2 rulemaking proposal to increase fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, engines and light-duty work trucks and to establish new truck trailer mandates. 

“Cleaner/greener new equipment will do nothing for the environment or for energy security until it is bought and placed into service, more often than not replacing older, less efficient equipment,” said Jorgensen, who is also president of JX Enterprises Inc, a multi-state medium- and heavy-duty truck dealership group located in Hartland WI, which sells Peterbilt, Volvo, and Hino trucks, Kalmar Ottawa tractors, and Paccar and Cummins engines. “Consequently, your goal should be to hit a regulatory sweet spot by setting performance standards that result in new products purchasers are willing and able to buy.”