T
he trailer market was thrown
upside down late last month when
a Federal appeals court paused
implementation to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and National
Highway Transportation Safety Adminis-
tration's (NHTSA) joint 'Greenhouse Gas
Emissions and Fuel Effi ciency Standards
for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines
and Vehicles – Phase 2' regarding com-
mercial trailers.
Composed earlier this decade and
published as a Final Rule in October
2016, the EPA's Phase 2 program was
built to expand and intensify regulations
implemented on engines and tractors by
Phase 1 — with additional regulations
for the previously untouched trailer
industry.
Those regulations, scheduled to go
into effect on January 1, 2018, are now
on hold as the EPA works to reevaluate
its trailer provisions and determine if
any of its previously written rules will
eventually reach the trucking industry.
For the aftermarket, last month's news
could be a substantial victory.
In its Final Rule, the EPA and NHTSA
wrote the "Phase 2 program will include
technology-advancing standards that
substantially reduce GHG emissions and
fuel consumption, resulting in an ambi-
tious, yet achievable program that will
allow manufacturers to meet standards
over time through a mix of different
technologies at reasonable cost."
To reach those milestones in the trail-
er market, Phase 2 was written to elimi-
nate customer choice and require the
24
Sales & Marketing
T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7
By Lucas Deal, Editor
lucasdeal@randallreilly.com
uncertain
future
uncertain
An
A fourth-quarter
postponement to EPA trailer regulations
leaves market unsure of next step
