Trying to Make Some Sense of It All

Dec. 4, 2015

The new GHG Phase 2 Emissions proposal is 1,600 pages long. To quote a 1970's standard, “Trying to make some sense of it all, but I can see it makes no sense at all.”

Michael Roeth

I’m not sure of the exact page count of the document outlining the Greenhouse Gas Phase 2 Emissions Standards. About 1,600 pages is what I recall.

That’s a daunting read, and it’s not exactly a page turning legal thriller, which happen to be my favorites. While the EPA is still sifting through all the comments it received, it is a safe bet that the final rulemaking will be a hefty tome as well.

Trying to make sense of something that detailed calls to mind the lyric from Stealers Wheel’s Stuck In The Middle With You: “Trying to make some sense of it all, but I can see it makes no sense at all.”

I am guessing that is how a lot of folks are feeling about the pending regulation designed to limit CO2 in 2021-2027 model-year trucks and regulate engines and trailers as well.

But I am excited about the opportunity for the trucking industry to get even more fuel efficient than it already is. I want to see us get to that 10 or even 12 mpg goal.

Many fleets and manufacturers as well are expressing confusion about what GHG will mean to them. The reality is the onus of GHG is on the manufacturers. They are the ones whose vehicles will have to meet the new standards.

At this point the EPA is not telling manufacturers how they have to meet the rules; there is no stipulation that a certain technology has to be used. This means manufacturers will be free to devise their own solutions and fleets to continue to spec tractors and trailers to best meet their operations. But together, these vehicles will have to be in compliance.

We see our role as helping to sift through the noise and also to help fleets make better purchasing decisions by providing them facts and information about not only what manufacturers are doing but how well their products are actually working to improve fuel efficiency and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Our mission has always been to get real-world facts and experiences with new fuel saving technology out in the marketplace. And we see this role continuing and even accelerating with GHG.

We firmly believe that everyone gains if the right solutions, in the right time at the right price and with the right pay back are put into effect. Stay tuned.

About the Author

Michael Roeth | Executive Director

Michael Roeth is the executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. He serves on the second National Academy of Sciences Committee on Technologies and Approaches for Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles and has held various positions with Navistar and Behr/Cummins.