Trucking industry expert witness John Johnson, a Michigan Technological University professor of mechanical engineering testified last spring before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment as part of a review of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies research and development programs. The expert said more research is needed to improve the safety and fuel economy of the nation’s truck fleet.
Johnson expressed concern over the decline in federal funding for the 21st Century Truck Partnership. In 2000, DOE launched the Partnership to explore technological improvements in commercial and military trucks and buses. Funded through the DOE, the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Partnership also involves several national research laboratories and many industrial partners.