Jersey truckers won’t need shore power just yet
TRENTON, N.J. — An anti-idling law for truckers in New Jersey was set to begin this month, but has been delayed by the state because of insufficient options.
The Garden State had planned to include diesel-powered vehicles in its anti-idling regulation.
Under the current Department of Environmental Protection regulation, diesel-powered vehicles are prohibited from idling for more than three consecutive minutes if the vehicle is stopped. However, an exemption, which allowed drivers to idle while resting or sleeping in a sleeper berth, was set to expire on May 1.
According to local reports, the agency – at the request of transportation officials, the state police and trucking groups – determined there were not enough alternatives for drivers to stay warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather other than running their engines.
The state’s anti-idling law was put in place in 2007 and truckers were expected to join the regulation after three years, when a suitable alternative to idling would be developed. The exemption is expected to last another year.
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