U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., visited Omaha Truck Centers, owned by dealer Trey Mytty, to learn more about natural gas in the commercial vehicle industry.

"One of the purposes of the visit was to inform Rep. Terry about natural-gas-powered trucks," says Mytty, a nominee for the 2012 Truck Dealer of the Year.

The Metropolitan Utilities District, one of the dealership's customers in Omaha, showcased one of its natural gas trucks in operation to demonstrate its features. Terry said he's interested in drafting new legislation to provide federal tax credits for natural gas trucks and visited the dealership to learn more about demand and cost premiums.

In a conversation with Terry, Mytty said he opposed "transferability" of any proposed tax credit. Rep. Terry strongly agreed that the buyer should be responsible for claiming any credits, Mytty said. Among the other policy discussions were the impact and cost of truck fuel economy regulations, the scheduled increase in the estate tax at the end of 2012 and preservation of LIFO, an inventory accounting method used by Omaha Truck Centers and many other dealers.

Loy Todd, executive vice president of the Nebraska New Car and Truck Dealers Association, was also in attendance.