Trucks Gone Green?

Record gasoline prices have done more than boost advertising budgets for worried energy lobbies. They also have turned long-held positions of significant lobbying groups upside down -- and decidedly pro-environmental.

The American Trucking Associations last week did a 180 (or pretty close to that) on two key issues. In news releases notable for their use of the color green, the truck company lobby said it would accept a fuel tax increase -- once its most hated policy proposal -- if the extra revenue went toward reducing highway congestion. It also suggested tougher fuel economy standards for trucks, another shocker for the trucking industry.

The American Trucking Associations advocates initiatives to improve highway infrastructure and reduce congestion.

Relieving highway congestion is a critically important strategy for reducing carbon emissions. Improving the nation’s highway infrastructure is a long-rangechallenge, and the American Trucking Associations has recommended a20-year program, focused initially on fixing critical bottlenecks. Longer-range ideas include creating truck-only corridors which wouldpermit carriers to further increase the use of more productivevehicles. The needed infrastructure improvements can be paid for with adedicated fuel tax if necessary. If congestion in all 437 urban areaswere eliminated, the reduction in truck CO₂ emissions would be 45.2 million tons over ten years -- equal to the annual output of a population the size of the State of Colorado.