Obama Aiming for Higher Fuel Standards for Trucks

In an attempt to help develop new energy resources and to conserve the ones we have, President Obama has proposed tough fuel efficiency standards for heavy trucks and passenger vehicles. The goal of the new standards is to increase fuel economy and to reduce atmospheric pollution. These standards apply to approximately four percent of the vehicles registered on the road today, but these vehicles are also responsible for over a quarter of the total amount of fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, according to Think Progress, the project center for the American Progress Action Fund.

The first round of the fuel efficiency standards focuses on medium- to heavy-duty trucks, which includes tractor-trailers, school buses, delivery vans, cement mixers, and heavy-duty pickup trucks. According to the New York Times, the proposed policy would implement different standards for different sized vehicles. Tractor-trailers would be required to conform to a 20-percent decrease in fuel consumption and emissions by the year 2018, and pickup trucks would need to reduce fuel consumption by 15 to 20 percent. According to an article in Forbes Magazine, if the standards are put in place, the new fuel-efficient trucks would save the US over 530 million barrels of oil and cut greenhouse gases by 270 million metric tons in a matter of a few years.

The second phase of the fuel efficiency standards will be announced around March 2016 and would go into effect for all vehicles that are manufactured after 2018, which is when the first phase of the proposal will end. Currently large fleets and transits throughout the country, including Coca Cola, AT&T, Staples, and UPS, have partnered with the US Department of Energy (DOE) to help reduce petroleum usage by participating in the Clean Cities' National Clean Fleets Partnership. This partnership focuses on using alternative fuels and various fuel efficiency standards.

Unsurprisingly, the American Trucking Association and a variety of major shippers supported the proposed fuel-efficient trucks, but all agreed the transportation sector should proceed with caution on the new fuel efficiency standards. Some argued the new standards would make it impossible for many drivers to be able to afford to continue driving, and those who could afford to drive would not be able to purchase new equipment due to ever-increasing prices.

Many businesses are concerned with reducing their carbon footprint by going green, and the transportation sector must follow suit in order to help preserve our natural resources. The new fuel efficiency standards proposed by Obama will not only provide cleaner air for Americans, they will help bolster energy security, save money, and support innovation.

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