NRMCA Voices Opposition to Federal Fuel Efficiency, Carbon Emissions Proposal

Last Wednesday, NRMCA filed comments opposing certain provisions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) joint proposal, known as Phase 2. The Phase 2 proposal is intended to mandate increased fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, such as ready mixed concrete trucks. The new standard aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 24 percent with a similar fuel efficiency increase for covered vehicles, model years 2021-2027.

NRMCA is concerned with the proposal regarding costs, technology reliance and impacts on truck weights and glider kit usage. NRMCA summarized its comments by noting, "NRMCA believes the Phase 2 proposal needs to better take into account cost and technology implications on downstream purchasers of heavy-duty trucks. As well, any new mandates for glider kits should not cover low-mileage, vocational trucks such as concrete mixer trucks." The comments continued, "The consequence of adding more weight to mixer trucks for Phase 2 compliance results in achieving the opposite goal of Phase 2. Simply put, if the industry is forced to reduce payload in order to meet low weight tolerances, the industry will then be forced to use more trucks, making more trips to deliver the same amount of ready mixed concrete. More trips means increased emissions, increased fuel consumption, more trucks sitting in traffic, and longer hours for industry drivers."

Click here for more information and to review the proposed rule. For more information, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org.

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association