Almost half of the trucks running over-the-road in America were manufactured before 2010. It’s time to get these trucks off the road and get our drivers into newer vehicles.

This would benefit driver safety, public safety, and the environment. Newer trucks have more robust safety features and are cleaner in regards to emissions.

In order to provide incentives for trucking companies and owner-operators to purchase new vehicles, the United States congress needs to repeal the federal excise tax (FET) on heavy-duty trucks and trailers.

The topic of the excise tax is the reason many trucking organizations and stakeholders sent a letter to the Senate, telling them to support the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act. This bill would remove the tax and reduce the costs of purchasing newer heavy-duty trucks by up to 12%.

The letter was sent on behalf of the following:

• American Trucking Associations

• American Truck Dealers

• Truckload Carriers Association

• National Tank Truck Carriers

• NATSO

• SIGMA

• Diesel Technology Forum

• Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association

• Clean Freight Coalition

Needless to say, this legislation has wide support across the trucking industry. But this isn’t a simple tax dodge for large corporations. The public benefit of newer, safer vehicles will be demonstrable both on the roads and in the air. Newer trucks may reduce emissions by up to 83%, compared to pre-2010 models.