All Eyes on Anti-Idling

The trucking industry and the EPA have agreed that cutting back on unneeded idling should be a priority. Already, 30 states have some form of anti-idling laws, but truckers complain that it is difficult to keep up with the state-to-state laws. Consequently, a Federal anti-idling law may be much more effective in reducing pollution and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, asthma, and lung disease as well as in saving the trucking industry a hefty sum of money. Idling trucks can burn up to, and even more than, a gallon of fuel an hour. The trucking industry pays $2.5 billion a year for fuel and engine repair due to long idling. At the same time this idling is releasing 11 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air. [Source: State Legislatures]