The Washington State Trucking Associations is urging their governor to reconsider mirroring the zero emissions truck policies put in place in California.
WTA president and CEO Sheri Call recently wrote a letter to Washington state Governor Jay Inslee to emphasize the serious impact that the zero emissions truck policy could have on the state’s trucking industry and the overall supply chain within the state. The policy aims to transition medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles to zero emissions, much like California’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) policy. In the Washington policy, 7% of all commercial trucks sold in Washington must be zero emissions vehicles.
“We feel these issues will place constraints on the industry and reduce supply chain resiliency in Washington state – one of the most trade-driven states in the nation. We don’t have to look back too far to understand the impact of shortages of goods and medical supplies during the pandemic as a result of trucking industry labor and equipment shortages,” said Call. “Imagine the negative impact to affordability in our state and to any environmental gains if trucks are dispatched to Washington from further away. This is a reality we are faced with under the ACT policy.”
“Artificially manipulating the market to mandate ZEV truck sales will have a profound impact on the industry and lead to unintended consequences. California officials wrote, adopted, and implemented the ACT program for the state of California. But Washington is not California.”
The letter also points to industry concerns regarding the cost, range, refueling, and infrastructure requirements of these vehicles.
“However fleet and truck owners respond, these direct and indirect compliance costs will certainly shift to consumers across the entire supply chain,” she writes. “There is no such thing as a free lunch, and ACT will drive up costs on every consumer good or service that relies on M/HD commercial trucks.”
Call insists in the letter that Washington’s government consider other options such as hydrogen before putting policies laid out by another state into place.
“WTA is committed to working with stakeholders to find a balanced approach that leads to decarbonization but also protects the backbone of our supply chain and trade-dependent economy.”