Truckers Back Trump’s Emissions Rollback at EPA

Owner-operators are voicing strong support for the Trump administration’s plan to repeal federal emission standards, arguing the regulations have saddled them with crippling costs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in July that it intends to repeal the 2009 Obama-era “endangerment finding” and subsequent greenhouse gas standards from 2011, 2016, and 2024 covering light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles.

The EPA has called the rollback “the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history,” projecting it would save Americans at least $54 billion annually.

Truckers Cite Rising Costs

Owner-operators told EPA the rules are forcing them to maintain older trucks longer or spend heavily on repair bills.

“In some cases, these dramatic cost increases can limit the environmental benefits of the regulations by forcing truckers to maintain older vehicles longer than they otherwise would or compelling truckers to purchase used vehicles,” said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA).

Spencer noted that newer equipment is lasting longer:

“In 2022, owner-operators responded that their truck had traveled approximately 1.2 million miles since it was manufactured, which is more than double the mileage that was reported in 2001.”

He added that emissions rules should “ensure that drivers and carriers who are purchasing new equipment are getting a fair deal and will not be constantly sidelined from their profession due to costly and repeated breakdowns.”

A small-business truck owner with four trucks told EPA that emissions equipment failures had become overwhelming: “In the last three years I’ve spent nearly $80,000 on these four trucks keeping them safe and legal and two of them have suffered emissions replacements. This is destroying the American trucker, the ones that aren’t looking to get rich, rather just subsidize their income and have a little freedom.”

Another owner said repair costs were out of proportion: emissions-limiting equipment had left a driver stranded, with a single repair bill quoted at $21,000 for a truck worth $30,000.

Concerns Over Zero-Emission Options

Spencer also pointed to a lack of viable alternatives for long-haul trucking. Since the Phase 3 rule was finalized in 2024, “we have yet to see any significant developments easing driver concerns regarding [battery-electric vehicles],” he said. “Manufacturers have not come up with a reliable electric or other zero-emission vehicle capable of meeting the needs of long-haul trucking operations.”

Environmental Opposition

Environmental groups have sharply opposed the rollback, warning of far-reaching consequences. The Environmental Defense Fund estimates the move would add more than 10 billion tons of climate pollution, cost consumers over $2 trillion through 2055, and worsen harmful emissions linked to premature deaths and heart and lung disease.

Patrick Drupp, director of climate policy for the Sierra Club, told EPA the agency “must follow the science, not the agenda of the corporate polluters who bought access to Trump.” He warned: “If approved, rescinding the endangerment finding would deal a decisive blow to the EPA’s authority to limit deadly greenhouse gas emissions and protect our people and our planet from the worst effects of the climate crisis.”

Source: FreightWaves