Home » ATA-Led Coalition Urges Congressional Leaders to Repeal FET

ATA-Led Coalition Urges Congressional Leaders to Repeal FET

fleetnewsdaily | July 25, 2023

Coalition sent a letter to the leaders of Senate Finance Committee and House Ways & Means Committee to express strong support for the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act

The American Trucking Associations was joined by eight trucking organizations and affiliates in a renewed effort to repeal the outdated and counterproductive federal excise tax, or FET, on heavy-duty trucks and trailers.

The coalition sent a letter to the leaders of Senate Finance Committee and House Ways & Means Committee to express strong support for the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act. The bipartisan legislation would repeal the FET and immediately reduce the cost of new, cleaner, and safer trucks by 12 percent, making it easier for fleets to upgrade their equipment.

“Eliminating this tax will remove a barrier to retiring older trucks that lack modern emissions control and safety technologies, allowing owners to replace them with modern, clean models that are safer and more environmentally friendly,” the coalition wrote.

“Our coalition is grateful to the House and Senate champions of the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act (H.R. 1440, S. 694) for once again putting forward legislation that will help the trucking industry unleash the latest technologies,” the coalition continued. “Stakeholders across the trucking supply chain stand ready to work with those champions and other leaders in Congress to advance this important proposal. As the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways & Means Committee consider tax policies to continue growing our economy, we are grateful for your consideration of repealing the outdated FET.”

Nearly half of the trucks in America’s trucking fleet were manufactured prior to 2010. Each new clean-diesel truck will reduce emissions by 83% compared to the pre-2010 model power unit it replaces on our highways.

Today’s vehicles are also equipped with the latest safety innovations that have been proven to save lives. New truck models meet 2015 standards for stability control and increasingly include advanced driver assistance systems that improve braking, steering, warning, and monitoring responses to prevent crashes.

In addition to the American Trucking Associations, the letter was co-signed by the leaders of American Truck Dealers, Truckload Carriers Association, National Tank Truck Carriers, NATSO, SIGMA, Diesel Technology Forum, Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association, and Clean Freight Coalition.

Click here to read the full letter.