The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has joined a lawsuit against the U.S. EPA over looming emissions standards it says will “devastate” supply chains.

The suit is led by the American Petroleum Institute and supported by OOIDA and other national organizations in the U.S.

“Small business truckers make up 96% of trucking and could be regulated out of existence if the EPA’s unworkable heavy-duty rule comes into effect,” said Todd Spencer, OOIADA president.

“This rule would devastate the reliability of America’s supply chain and ultimately increase costs for consumers. Mom and pop trucking businesses would be suffocated by the sheer cost and operational challenges of effectively mandating zero emission trucks, but this administration appears intent on forcing through its deluge of misguided environmental mandates.”

In the final EPA27 rules, published in April, the EPA projects that there would need to be significant deployment of zero emission vehicles (ZEV) throughout the heavy-duty fleet to meet emissions standards. 

For example, more than 40% of vocational vehicles would need to be ZEVs by MY 2032. Additionally, longhaul tractors, which currently have no ZEV deployment, would need to go from 0% today to 25% of the fleet by model year 2032.

“Today, we are standing up for consumers who rely on trucks to deliver the goods they use every single day,” said API senior vice-president and general counsel Ryan Meyers.

“The EPA is forcing a switch to technology that simply does not presently exist for these kinds of vehicles – and even if it were someday possible, it will almost certainly have consequences for your average American. This is sadly yet another example of this administration pushing unpopular policy mandates that lack statutory authority, and we look forward to holding them accountable in court.”