The American Truck Dealers (ATD) held an update on its efforts to combat regulatory overreach and drive smart public policy at the 2024 Karmak Conference & Expo Wednesday in St. Louis.
ATD President Laura Perrotta and ATD Kenworth Line Representative Jodie Teuton of Kenworth of Louisiana were on hand at the event. The duo used their time to address the many impending and proposed regulations that are coming to commercial trucking and the potential impact each regulation could have on dealer operations. The women also stressed the importance of engagement, urging the dealers in the audience to get involved with ATD, state trucking and dealer associations and other industry coalitions to strengthen the industry’s voice in communicating with regulators.
On regulation, most of the discussion centered around the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Advanced Clean Trucks, Advanced Clean Fleets and low-NOx Omnibus regulations. Introduced in January, Perrotta said the ACT and Omnibus rules are both proving damaging to the state’s trucking industry, as manufacturers, dealers and customers struggle to navigate the rules and bring new equipment into the market. (CARB’s ACF rule remains in limbo as the state waits for an EPA waiver approving the rule.)
[RELATED: Trucking to EPA: Send CARB 'back to drawing board' for its ZEV truck-purchase mandates]
Each OEM is managing the ACT rule differently due to the emissions credits and models they have available, while the Omnibus rule has effectively shuttered the sale of trucks with model year 2025 engines in the state. Perrotta said ATD is constantly communicating with its dealers in the state and regulators to understand the depth of the damage the regulations are causing but is seeing little progress.
“[Regulators] don’t realize you can’t just swap out a diesel truck for an EV,” she said.
Perrotta also urged the non-California dealers in the room to not overlook what’s happening on the west coast. Nine other states have pledged to adopt the ACT and Omnibus rules in 2025 and 2026, while the EPA 2027 GHG regulations will bring the aggressive regulations nationwide.
ATD research shows the gulf between trucking's current diesel-based operations and an battery electric future.
“Who is going to pay $25 for a package of strawberries?” added Teuton.
The duo also touched on ATD and NADA’s recent efforts to overturn the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Vehicle Shopping rule, which would require all vehicle dealerships to stop any customer interaction whenever a customer requests a price and provide them with an out the door number. Perrotta said such a rule would be incredibly onerous for truck dealers — “We often don’t even know what the price is yet, because we haven’t built it” — and said ATD and NADA are supporting the FTC Redo Act to stop the shopping rule from being implemented.
Again, the duo said support from industry increases the likelihood these regulations and bills are stopped or amended before hitting the marketplace. Teuton said she understands some business owners find it distasteful to lobby on Capitol Hill or meet with legislators, but she believes it is essential. She said representatives and regulators won’t know what they’re doing is wrong without industry input.
“They’re never going to know if we don’t go in there and tell them,” she said.
Mike Sorensen of Coast Counties Truck & Equipment delivers the keynote address during the 2024 Karmak Conference & Expo last week in St. Louis.
'Consistency is the mark of a champion'
Wednesday’s programming also featured a keynote address from Karmak user and Coast Counties Truck & Equipment General Manager Mike Sorensen on the importance of consistency. Sharing personal stories of consistency and perseverance, Sorensen told the crowd “consistency is the market of a champion.”
“[Consistency] builds something within you,” he says. “There are certain things within you that with consistency you can unlock.”
He says his father in law and father are both great examples of that. His father in law Enrique Jana was a favorite to make the 1960 Argentina Olympic team as a boxer before breaking three vertebrae in his back due to a fall. Sorensen said many believed the fall would end Jana’s career, but the fighter wasn’t willing to abandon his dream. He underwent a then experimental surgery and more than two years of rehabilitation before returning to the ring, eventually rising to No. 2 in the world in his weight class.
Sorensen says Jana’s consistent approach to his health and his goals enabled him to make such a comeback. Sorensen says his father had a similar experience. After a car accident forced him to shift careers after success as a landscaper and designer, Sorensen’s father entered the police academy at age 39 and graduated second in his classes, leading to a two-decade career in law enforcement.
Sorensen says both men preached and lived consistency, and attributed that mindset to their success. He says businesses can do the same. Consistency in operations, customer service and sales isn’t about overhauling a business. It’s about making small, steady changes that lead toward a long-term goal.
“If you have a desire to do better, don’t try to do it all at once,” Sorensen says. “Go little by little. When you are consistent, the sky is the limit.”
