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Trucking industry groups urge Congress to
repeal FET on trucks, trailers
CAPITOL recap
A coalition of nine industry groups, including the Truckload Carriers
Association (TCA), the American Trucking Associations (ATA), and
others, in July sent a letter to the leaders of Senate Finance Committee
and House Ways and Means Committee asking for the federal excise
(FET) on the sale of heavy-duty trucks and trailers to be repealed.
The group also expressed their support for the Modern, Clean and
Safe Trucks Act.
The bipartisan legislation would repeal the FET and immediately
reduce the cost of new, cleaner and safer trucks by 12%, making it
easier for fleets to upgrade their equipment.
“Eliminating this tax will remove a barrier to retiring older trucks
that lack modern emissions control and safety technologies, allowing
owners to replace them with modern, clean models that are safer and
more environmentally friendly,” the coalition wrote in the letter.
The letter further states, “Our coalition is grateful to the House and
Senate champions of the Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act (H.R.
1440, S. 694) for once again putting forward legislation that will help
the trucking industry unleash the latest technologies. Stakeholders
across the trucking supply chain stand ready to work with those
champions and other leaders in Congress to advance this important
proposal. As the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and
Means Committee consider tax policies to continue growing our
economy, we are grateful for your consideration of repealing the
outdated FET.”
Nearly half of the trucks in America’s trucking fleet were
manufactured before 2010, according to the ATA. Each new cleandiesel
truck will reduce emissions by 83% compared to the pre-2010
model power unit it replaces on the nation’s highways.
According to a statement released by ATA, “Today’s vehicles are
A coalition of nine trucking industry groups is urging Congress to repeal the federal excise
tax on heavy-duty trucks and trailers.
also equipped with the latest safety innovations that have been proven
to save lives. New truck models meet 2015 standards for stability
control and increasingly include advanced driver assistance systems
that improve braking, steering, warning, and monitoring responses
to prevent crashes.”
The letter was co-signed by the leaders of TCA, ATA, National
Tank Truck Carriers, NATSO, SIGMA, the Diesel Technology Forum,
the Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association and the Clean Freight
Coalition.
C
Trucking among industries required to submit
additional injury data to OSHA
A new ruling requires scores of employers in industries considered
“high hazard” to electronically submit detailed data about worker
injuries to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA). Employers are already required to keep records of injuries,
but they are only submitted to OSHA if the agency conducts an
investigation.
OSHA’s final rule is similar to one that was adopted by the Obama
administration and then largely rolled back under former Republican
President Donald Trump before it could take effect. The new rule,
which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, requires companies with 100 or more
employees in industries that OSHA deems hazardous to annually
submit forms that include details of specific safety incidents.
A wide range of industries are covered by the rule, including
trucking and transportation, grocery stores and other retail
businesses, agriculture, manufacturing, nursing homes, waste
SEE OSHA, PAGE 13
Trucking, considered a high hazard workplace by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, now falls under a new injury reporting rule.
TCA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 www.Truckload.org | Truckload Authority 11