House bill introduced to promote truck-idling reduction technologies

Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide tax credits for the purchase of on-board technologies to reduce truck idling.

The bill, introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Kay Granger (R-Texas), proposes a 50-percent tax credit of up to $3,000 for each truck for which an idling reduction device is purchased. The equipment is designed to replace the main engine's support of essential truck functions when the truck is parked. The credit would be available to all trucking companies.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that on-board idle reduction technologies, which include auxiliary power units, direct-fired heaters, and battery-powered climate control systems, reduce idle-related fuel consumption by at least 80 percent.

In a statement, the American Trucking Associations (ATA), which represents the nation's largest truckers, hailed the measure. "The initial capital cost of idle reducing technologies has been a major barrier to trucking companies. This legislation will allow us to move forward with industrywide efforts to reduce air pollution and fuel consumption related to idling," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves.