We need a lobby as powerful as the truckers’? Are you kidding? Wow. You are definitely not now, nor have you ever been, a trucker. I’ve been in trucking for 26 years, 25 as an owner-operator. Believe me when I tell you, truckers are, by far, the most harassed, persecuted, regulated, taxed, and bullied workforce in this country. The truckers’ lobby, what there is of it, is weaker than the prisoners’ rights groups out there. Federal emissions laws have escalated the price of new class 8 trucks to the point where only the major carriers can afford to buy them, and those are the same carriers that have over 100% annual driver turnover due to extremely low pay and poor working conditions. Owner-operators, like myself, have to rely on keeping older trucks running just to survive. I run an '85 model year truck, which I bought new, and I will continue to run it until I retire, or it is damaged beyond repair, or it (or I) is regulated out of existence by a short-sighted, misinformed government.
As for diesel emissions, our trucks are tested bi-annually, like your cars, and we are also routinely stopped on the road and tested right there. And that can be in ANY state we operate in, not just the state of registration. When was the last time you got stopped and inspected on the side of the road in your car? There also is NO cut-off year for diesel truck emissions testing; just lesser requirements for older models. That means trucks that were built before any pollution controls were required are now tested and have to meet certain standards. Plus, there is NO maximum dollar amount to be spent to repair a failed truck, and no exemptions. Except, of course, for certain state or city owned trucks. Gee, who could have predicted that? It must be fixed, period, no matter what the cost. The fines for failing a roadside emissions test are extremely high, usually starting around $750 for a first time failure, and increasing dramatically for any subsequent failures. Still think trucks are the problem, and this so-called powerful truck lobby is blocking legislation? Dream on. And make sure you complain about how much it costs to ship something, too.