Both the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association want to see some changes in a bill proposed in Pennsylvania to limit idling time of commercial diesel-powered trucks.


Both groups were among those testifying before the House Transportation Committee Thursday in regard to Senate Bill 295.

The state Environmental Protection Department, while it "fully supports the concept of statewide idling restrictions to limit emissions from diesel-powered commercial vehicles," recommended that owners and operators of locations where diesel-powered vehicles load, unload and park - shippers, receivers, truckstop owners, etc. - be held accountable for causing delays that result in excessive idling. DEP also wants to see the fines increased significantly to coincide with penalties already in place in certain parts of Pennsylvania and neighboring states. And the agency wants the flexibility to assess civil penalties or fines for idling restrictions under the existing framework of the Air Pollution Control Act.

The Environmental Quality Board is currently promulgating regulations to restrict idling under the authority of the Air Pollution Control Act. This proposed rulemaking, like SB 295, would prohibit the unnecessary idling of diesel-powered commercial vehicles -- with certain exceptions -- and imposes fines and penalties for violations of idling restrictions.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is asking that the bill be changed to place responsibility for violations upon the vehicle owner. As proposed, the Diesel-Powered Commercial Motor Vehicle Idling Act places responsibility on the operator, regardless of whether or not that person owns the truck.

"This is an unfair responsibility to place solely on a person that does not own the truck being driven," said Mike Joyce, OOIDA Senior Government Affairs Representative.

Some truck drivers have the advantage of an auxiliary power unit or other anti-idling technology that has been installed to heat or cool the occupied cab areas during federally required rest periods, the association notes -- but far from all.

"The simple fact is that few motor carrier employers will invest in this technology," said Joyce. "An employee driver has no say in the economic decision whether to purchase and install these technologies on company-owned equipment."

OOIDA says it also would rather see uniform national anti-idling regulations, rather than the "hodge podge" or regulations from state to state and even from municipality to municipality.