Trucking companies left in limbo after California abandons plan to ban diesel vehicles

Jan 24, 2025 at 02:36 PM CST
In his inaugural address, President Trump took aim at California's mandate banning gas-powered vehicles. But even before he was sworn into office, the state accepted the new reality and abandoned a similar plan to ban diesel trucks. The latest impact of the new administration can be found at the Port of Oakland. Soon after Donald Trump was elected president, California officials realized that they had lost all friends in Washington, D.C., and withdrew their request for a waiver that would allow the state to ban the sale of diesel trucks after 2035. "The waiver was pulled back from the EPA," said Bill Aboudi, president of AB Trucking in Oakland. "So the first reaction is what's their game plan? They're going to come up with something else. We've been living with uncertainty for a long time. And so, we get a little breathing room for buying trucks that are very expensive that don't work. We're hoping that these trucks will materialize. They haven't yet."

Jan 24, 2025 at 02:36 PM CST

In his inaugural address, President Trump took aim at California's mandate banning gas-powered vehicles. But even before he was sworn into office, the state accepted the new reality and abandoned a similar plan to ban diesel trucks.

The latest impact of the new administration can be found at the Port of Oakland. Soon after Donald Trump was elected president, California officials realized that they had lost all friends in Washington, D.C., and withdrew their request for a waiver that would allow the state to ban the sale of diesel trucks after 2035.

"The waiver was pulled back from the EPA," said Bill Aboudi, president of AB Trucking in Oakland. "So the first reaction is what's their game plan? They're going to come up with something else. We've been living with uncertainty for a long time. And so, we get a little breathing room for buying trucks that are very expensive that don't work. We're hoping that these trucks will materialize. They haven't yet."