Trucking Industry Asks for Delay of New Engines

Three hundred forty-five trucking companies sent a letter to President Bush on Thursday to request a delay in implementation of new diesel engine emissions standards due to go into effect on Oct. 1.

These standards were part of a series of consent decrees signed by engine makers in 1998, setting a deadline of October 2002.

The carriers, all members of the American Trucking Associations, said these engines are untested and pose a threat to the U.S. economy if the industry is unable to move freight efficiently.

"We are not in a fight either with or against any engine manufacturer," said William J. Canary, president and chief executive officer of ATA. "Our goal is to keep the American economy moving and to protect the trucking industry."

The letter said there is not enough time to properly test the new engines, and tests already conducted raise questions about the engines' reliability.

Previously, ATA sent a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency saying the cost of these engines poses a major problem for the trucking industry.

(Click here for a release from ATA.)

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