Trucking expert witnesses may opine on emission requirements, federal motor carrier safety regulations, and related subjects. TruckstopUSA.com reports that the federal government proposed the first regulations limiting fuel consumption of work trucks – from big-rig trucks to concrete mixers, buses, even heavy-duty pickups – saying the rules finally address the thirstiest and most-polluting vehicles on the road.
Though the emphasis is on semi-tractor rigs and other big trucks, the regulations would apply to vehicles as small as those with an 8,500-pound gross vehicle weight rating (the safe weight of the truck and cargo combined) – a Ford F-250 pickup or equivalent.
The heavy-truck rules would join fuel-economy rules for passenger vehicles that require automakers to average 35.5 miles per gallon in 2016. A recent proposal would push that to as much as 62 mpg in 2025.