Massachusetts lawmakers have proposed two new regulations that affect the trucking industry, although neither comes as much surprise.
The first, a proposal by Rep. Paul Kujawski, will limit idling within state borders to no more than five minutes in any given 60-minute timeframe. There are exceptions to this, such as when idling is required to heat or cool a sleeper berth or required to power “work-related mechanical or electrical operations.” Even this provision, though, will disappear should Massachusetts enact a financial assistance program for idle reduction technologies. Under that scenario, fleets would have five years to eliminate all idling.
The second is a weight exemption for auxiliary power units (APUs). This would affect any vehicle equipped with an APU, but the weight exemption would be capped at 400 lbs.
So while the proposed laws take Massachusetts toward becoming a no-idling state, there are plenty of provisions that most fleets need not worry at this point. A copy of the idling law is available here.
