ATA Board Endorses Energy Resolution
merican Trucking Associations said its board of directors unanimously endorsed an energy resolution outlining ATA’s efforts to combat escalating fuel prices and help shape a comprehensive national energy plan.
The resolution calls for increasing diesel fuel supply, improving the balance between environmental concerns and fuel efficiency, eliminating boutique diesel fuels and endorses the limited use of biodiesel fuel as part of a national diesel fuel standard.
It was passed unanimously on Tuesday by ATA’s board at the group’s annual Management Conference and Exhibition in Boston.
“Our current economic conditions require strong actions as part of a comprehensive national energy plan that enables us to deliver America’s goods. The national economy depends upon a healthy and viable trucking industry,” Graves said in a statement.
Recent surges in fuel prices have hit the trucking industry at a time when it is adopting new engine technology designed to meet new reduced emission standards set for 2007 by the Environmental Protection Agency and transitioning to ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel in 2006.
The new engines are expected to be less fuel efficient, burning more diesel, in turn increasing motor carrier operating costs, ATA said.
Commercial trucks consume 50 billion gallons of fuel each year, of which about 35 billion gallons are diesel. At current prices, the trucking industry is projected to pay a record $85 billion for diesel fuel this year, a record $23 billion more than in 2004, ATA said.
