Fuel-efficiency standards for heavy duty trucks beginning in model year 2019 will lead to “significant” fuel savings — and likely good news for the industry — according to a blog by Jim Sweeney, vice president of capital equipment for AmeriQuest Transportation Services.
President Obama pledged to set new emissions rules for trucks in his state of the union address earlier this year.
In 2011, the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted the so-called Phase 1 standards to reduce the fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of heavy-duty vehicles in model years 2014–2018. The Phase 1 standards will reduce new heavy-duty vehicle fuel consumption on average by 20 percent and gas pollution by approximately 270 million metric tons.
The new proposed rules — Phase 2 — are being developed in conjunction with truck manufacturers and will apply to later model year vehicles.
“The 2014-2018 standards should result in significant savings and benefits over the lifetime of the vehicles and as a whole, could save owners and operators an estimated $50 billion in fuel costs,” Sweeney writes, adding that the Phase 2 rules will likely see similar benefits. “The increase in overall maintenance costs for this new technology is undeniable — but looking at the big picture, the economic and operational benefits that come along with these initiatives seem to far outweigh the bad.”