Contending that caps on the number of glider kits produced for commercial trucks would have hurt jobs, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) thanked several members of Congress last week for fighting an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) effort to limit production.
The EPA announced in July that it wanted to delay such a cap through 2019 to reduce its impact. A lawsuit forced them to reverse that decision, however, and OOIDA has been requesting extended compliance dates ever since. Several members of Congress agreed that the compliance date of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards, as related to glider vehicles and engines, should be extended.
“The regulation not only hurts workers on the manufacturing side, but it also hurts owner-operators that look to purchase a glider kit for their operation,” Mike Matousek, manager of government affairs for OOIDA, said. “Glider kits are often times more reliable and more affordable, which makes them a viable option for small-business truckers.”
The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology took testimony on the issue back in September. OOIDA testified at those hearings, stating that gliders are about 25 percent less expensive than new commercial vehicles and can save owners tens of thousands in cost. As emission standards rise, so do truck costs, and the option of purchasing a glider kit, OOIDA said, can keep small trucking businesses from going out of business.
They assert that the federal government should not unnecessarily restrict the availability of glider kits.