U.S. Legislative Issues

Congress adjourned the week before Christmas without voting to extend several tax provisions which were set to expire at the end of 2013. Among the expiring incentives included in the extension package are tax credits for biodiesel, propane, and CNG as vehicle fuels. Without extension of these credits, fleets could see the price of these fuels tick up. Also included in the package is an extension of employee transportation benefits. Passage, with a retroactive extension, is expected in early January when Congress returns to town.


The Federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has rejected an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that provided waivers to truck maker Navistar to continue selling heavy-duty engines that exceeded nitrogen oxides (NOx) limits. The Court said the EPA failed to provide adequate information concerning the awarding of waivers. The waivers in question had allowed Navistar to continue selling engines that did not meet NOx requirements by paying a per-engine fine. Competing engine manufacturers, including Daimler, said the waiver gave Navistar an unfair advantage.


The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is being sued by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) over a requirement that commercial vehicles operating in the state in 2014 must be retrofitted with a particulate matter filter. OOIDA claims the rule, taking effect January 1, is overly burdensome and requests the court to strike down provisions that require truck owners and operators who live outside of or primarily conduct business outside of the state to comply.