White House Eyes 21st Century Truck

November 17, 1999 1:44 PM, EST

The Clinton administration believes automotive engineers, the trucking industry and the military, working together, can come up with more fuel-efficient, safer trucks. The White House is expected to seek $2 billion for a 10-year development program called the 21st Century Truck Initiative.

The initiative is based on a 1997 proposal by the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command. The military wants technologies that meet military specifications to be made standard on all trucks as a cost-saving measure, according to officials familiar with the proposal.

The U.S. Army has a fleet of 246,000 wheeled vehicles. The development program is to focus on large trucks, delivery and utility-type trucks and buses.

Reports published in the Wall Street Journal and the National Journal stated that the project will either be announced in President Clinton’s State of the Union address in January or given to Vice President Al Gore later in the year to boost his presidential campaign.

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