California: Truckers Challenge Zero-Emissions Regulation

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Facts

  • On Monday, the California Trucking Association (CTA) filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California, seeking to block a state rule requiring truckers to exclusively drive zero-emissions vehicles by 2042.1
  • The California Air Resources Board's Advanced Fleets regulation mandates fleets with 50 or more trucks, as well as drivers servicing ports or rail yards, to switch to zero-emission trucks by the deadline.1
  • However, the CTA claims the rule, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2024, sets an impractical deadline for such a 'radical shift in the industry.'1
  • The lawsuit seeks a preliminary and permanent injunctive relief from the regulation — which the CTA alleges violates federal laws, including the Federal Clean Air Act — claiming it will affect every vehicle that enters California, as well as those sold within the state.2
  • Previously, the Western States Trucking Association had joined more than a dozen states in suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency, so as to oppose a waiver that reportedly allowed California to set emission standards.3
  • The legislation is expected to pressure truck manufacturers, including Tesla, to speed up mass production of zero-emissions electric trucks amid supply chain constraints in order to meet the state's ambitious climate goal.4

Sources: 1Reuters, 2Transport Topics, 3KCRA and 4Bloomberg.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Canary Media. Removing polluting commercial trucks from the roads is vital for equity, health, and slowing climate change. Though abiding by California's new regulation — the stiffest of its kind in the country — will be challenging, it will be well worth the effort.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Freight Waves. California is wildly exceeding its authority with this regulation. If the state is sure its legislation is the right way forward, it can pursue legal approval from the federal government and work in conjunction with the EPA. Instead, it's trying to push forward this rule to appear an environmental pioneer — this approach will severely damage the trucking industry.

Predictions