Trucking Stakeholders Launch Clean Freight Coalition

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Mar 23, 2023, 10:19 ET

Industry shows unified front on energy and emissions

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today a group of truck transportation stakeholders launched the Clean Freight Coalition (CFC) to serve as a collective voice for key trucking industry stakeholders. Made up of motor carriers of every size and sector, truck manufacturers, and truck dealers, the CFC's mission is to:

I. Educate policy makers on the incredible progress the trucking industry has made in reducing emissions and protecting the environment;

II. Promote the work underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from freight transportation; and

III. Advocate for sound public policies that transition toward a zero-emission future in a manner that assures affordable and reliable freight transportation and protects the nation's supply chain.

The five founding members of CFC are the:

American Trucking Associations (ATA);
American Truck Dealers (ATD), a division of the National Automobile Dealers Association;
National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC);
Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA); and
Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).

Jim Mullen will serve as CFC's executive director. Mullen has extensive regulatory, legislative, and legal experience within the industry, having previously served as acting administrator and chief counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, chief administrative and legal officer of a publicly traded autonomous truck developer, and general counsel for a large publicly traded truck company.

"Trucking is the backbone of our economy and critical to the nation's supply chain. It is an honor to lead the CFC in its pursuit to get to zero emissions in a responsible and feasible manner," said Mullen.

"The trucking industry starts with 'Yes,' as we've demonstrated through massive emission reductions over the last three decades," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "To get to zero, we must be honest and transparent about the road ahead. Success depends on a national energy strategy that is inclusive of our industry – the most central and critical link in supply the chain."

"America's truck dealers sell and service the newest, cleanest, and safest trucks available," said Laura Perrotta, President of ATD. "Truck dealers are essential to turning over America's aging truck fleet, and with nearly half of America's trucking fleet over 10 years old, there is a lot of work this new coalition can do together to prepare the marketplace for the next generation of clean trucks."

"The tank truck industry leans into new technologies, embracing improvements to make equipment safer for the motoring public, as well as for our environment more than ever before," stated NTTC President and CEO Ryan Streblow. "Tank trucks deliver over almost 1/4 of all truck tonnage in North America, much of which is providing critical energy source to all Americans. Looking ahead, we stand ready with our partners to embrace and help implement new scalable technologies and infrastructure on a timeline which is obtainable."

"The U.S. commercial trucking industry is on the verge of transformation. Truck and engine manufacturers are leading the way to cleaner air through investment, innovation, and engineering," said EMA President Jed Mandel. "EMA members are dedicating billions of R&D dollars towards a ZEV future, but those investments won't be enough on their own—we also need state and federal leaders to commit to building the essential infrastructures for those vehicles to operate nationwide. We are committed to working with policymakers to ensure a smooth and successful transition that aligns ZEV production to infrastructure availability."

"Truckload has long been on the road to zero—embracing new advancements in emissions-reducing technology and critical improvements to infrastructure. The key to our shared success will be in establishing a realistic timeline and multiple-solution approach that ensures productivity for drivers and reliability within the supply chain for consumers," said Jim Ward, President of the Truckload Carriers Association. "For this to happen, we need carrier involvement in all stages of the testing process to help identify operational challenges on the ground. All modes of our industry stand ready to work together to prepare for this essential transition."

Learn more at cleanfreightcoalition.org.

SOURCE Clean Freight Coalition