The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) recently expressed its support of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to reconsider Phase 2 emission requirements for glider kits.
The decision is based on an interpretation of the Clean Air Act. Under the act, glider vehicles and glider engines are not considered new motor vehicles, and glider kits are considered incomplete new motor vehicles. This means the Environmental Protection Agency would lack the authority to regulate the devices.
“For many small business truckers, glider kits offer a more affordable and reliable alternative to increasingly expensive new vehicles,” Todd Spencer, OOIDA acting president and CEO, said. “Their regulation under Phase 2 would effectively destroy the American glider kit industry, eliminating the opportunity for our members to continue purchasing the vehicles that best fit their unique needs.”
Glider kits meet all of the required environmental and safety standards, according to a Tennessee Tech University study.
The researchers determined remanufactured 2002-2007 engines performed as well as, if not better than, original equipment manufacturer certified engines.
Glider kits are reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Each kit reuses approximately 4,000 pounds of cast steel when it is manufactured.
OOIDA represents 160,000 small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers nationwide.