American Trucking Associations (ATA) president and CEO Chris Spear has written a letter to truck and engine manufacturers, urging them to work with industry on emissions regulations rather than the state of California.

California’s zero-emission vehicle regulations are “increasingly untenable and unachievable” the association contends.

“By strong-arming our industry into unachievable targets and timelines void of operational and economic reality, the California Air Resources Board’s mad dash to zero has set our industry up for failure, sowing the seeds of another supply chain crisis,” Spear wrote.

“California’s ideological approach has cratered the truck market; sales are down by over 50% compared to last year. Availability of California-certified diesel engines are hard to come by and expensive, rationed due to zero-emission truck sales requirements.” 

He said an agreement reached between CARB and the Clean Truck Partnership (CTP) — a consortium of truck makers — was “deeply flawed and coercive.”

“As your customers and partners, we ask that you work with all members of the American Trucking Associations to forge a viable path forward. Abandon the CTP and work with us and the incoming administration in Washington to reopen Greenhouse Gas Phase 3 and revise it with achievable, national standards that put our industry on a sustainable and successful path towards a zero-emissions vehicle future,” Spear wrote.

The complete letter can be found here.