OOIDA Call to Action – Oregon members
June 3, 2009

Oregon truckers: The Oregon Legislature is just one step away from approving a California-style retrofit law that would require fairings, single-wide tires, and other unspecified diesel efficient equipment on medium and heavy duty trucks. Not only would it affect trucks operating in the state, but it very well could end up affecting trucks running through the state.

Contact your state senator NOW and call for an immediate roadblock on this pricey and poorly timed bill. 

The Oregon House already approved HB2186, which would give the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission the ability to adopt several provisions aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The law would direct the state’s environmental regulators to develop new regulations such as a low-carbon fuel standard, a restriction on engine idling for parked commercial vehicles, and requirements that only tires deemed energy efficient could be sold in the state.

Lawmakers need to know that, given the current economy, the timing of this legislation couldn’t be worse. The message should be made clear to them that this proposed law is overkill and will exert a crippling effect on small-business trucking.

HB2186 now is headed for a vote on the Senate floor. So far, the vote margin has been narrow at each stop the bill has made. Calls to your senators could be the difference between this bill being killed and it ultimately advancing to the governor.

To access contact information for your state Senator, click here.