ATA’s Graves Says Fleet Operators Still Seek Incentives to Buy Trucks

AK BROOK, Ill. — Truck operators will continue to seek some form of federal aid or tax relief to help offset the cost of buying cleaner-burning diesel engines to meet tougher emissions standards in 2007 and, especially, 2010, said American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves.

Graves told executives of component supplier Hendrickson International and transportation reporters here Aug. 17 that “if the goal is clean air, there won’t be as many of the new units running on the roads as there should be,” unless buyers receive “some kind of relief” as an incentive.

In advance of tighter emissions rules in October 2002 from the Environmental Protection Agency, the trucking industry launched a major “pre-buy” of trucks with older-model engines and also bought up virtually all available used trucks.