January 30, 2025

TO:                     NJMTA Members

FROM:                Helder Rebelo, President

Yesterday industry representatives from NJMTA and the NJ Coalition of Automotive Retailers met with senior Murphy Administration officials to discuss the Advanced Clean Truck regulations and their impact on truck sales.

The meeting was led by Eric Miller, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy. Mr. Miller reiterated Governor Murphy’s opposition to legislation delaying the implementation of ACT, but stated it was very important to understand the specifics of how the regulation is impacting the NJ trucking industry.

The industry provided an overview of how trucks are purchased and that manufacturers will not build a new clean diesel that will be registered in NJ unless the dealer can show an EV purchase first. Truck dealers stated customers do not want EV trucks at this time due to their expense, lack of charging, and range issues. They added that the cost for them to purchase EV trucks in order to satisfy their customers’ demand for new clean diesels was not a financially viable option since they would have to finance the purchase of vehicles no one wants to buy and that the batteries die if not used which will result in them having to spend $40,000-$80,000 to replace the battery pack.

Mr. Miller indicated it was not the Murphy Administration’s intention to harm the NJ trucking industry since compliance was to be met by truck manufacturers. The industry explained that based on how trucks are sold, the manufacturers have effectively made the truck dealers the point of compliance. Regardless of where the point of compliance is the objective of ACT is to reduce the sales of new diesel trucks, so when asked what else they expected the result of ACT to be, there was no reply. Mr. Miller stated that ACT states were having an upcoming meeting with truck manufacturers to discuss ACT.

An extensive discussion occurred around the lack of public charging for EV trucks and the cost of EV trucks. Truck dealers provided examples of the long lead time and enormous expenses needed to install charging at their own dealerships, let alone at customer facilities, and the inability of utilities to supply adequate power. The Murphy Administration announced that the NJ Economic Development Authority was working on a new round of funding for EV trucks.

When presented with facts showing the dramatic decline in emissions that has resulted from the deployment of new clean diesel technology, the Murphy Administration acknowledged such. However, Mr. Miller stated that other segments of the economy have reduced emissions also so while transportation emissions have declined, they are still a large share of emissions and that past emission reductions were not a big motivating factor for Governor Murphy.

Prior to the meeting the NJDEP provided industry statistics on how many EV credits have been earned, but provided no context for how many total credits are needed, which is necessary to understand the Murphy Administration’s talking point that we are “close to being in compliance” for the first year.

The meeting was substantive and lasted an hour and a half, which by Trenton standards is an eternity. The meeting concluded with the Murphy Administration agreeing that we would meet again after they had met with the manufacturers, and they would provide more data from the NJDEP so industry can understand how “close to compliance we are.” 

NJMTA Signs Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Coalition Letter with Other State Associations

Trucking associations from NJ, NY, CO, MA, OR, RI, NM and WA signed onto a letter addressed to each state Governor urging a delay to the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rules.

The letter stresses the damage that our industry will incur by implementing ACT on its current rushed timeline.

CLICK HERE for a copy of the letter.

December 13, 2024

TO:                      NJMTA Members

FROM:                Eric DeGesero, NJMTA Lobbyist (EDGE Consulting)

Yesterday the Assembly Transportation Committee held a three-hour hearing on Assembly Bill 4967 which delays the implementation of the Advanced Clean Truck (EV truck) requirement from January 1, 2025, to no earlier than January 1, 2027. The bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Bergen) is also the committee’s chair.

As expected, a large contingent of anti-trucker environmentalists were present and testified in opposition to the bill, what was unexpected was the large contingent of pro-truckers and pro truck dealers who were present and testified in support of the bill. 

NJMTA was the first panel called. Normally, I am the only one representing NJMTA, but yesterday NJMTA President Helder Rebelo, Daybreak Express and Joe Cambria, Cambria Truck Center testified with me. We testified as to the cost of EV trucks and the lack of and expense of EV charging, the impact on NJ truck dealers, and how the increased cost of all of it will lead to higher consumer prices. I also read into the record a letter from Jeff Hermann, Hermann Services and NJMTA Board member, supporting the delay, even though he is deploying Class 8 EV trucks. I cannot underscore enough how much more meaningful the same testimony is when given by small business owners, as opposed to their lobbyist. 99 times of 100 the lobbyist testimony is all that is necessary, but 1 time in 100, when the issue is of such magnitude to the industry, it necessitates the small business owner’s presence. Why? Because a legislator responds to the same testimony much differently when it's delivered by the person who signs paychecks takes time out of running their business to go to Trenton then delivered by the lobbyist, they see 100 times out of 100.

The Chairman then called a panel of opponents, then called the NJ Coalition of Automotive Retailers. In Trenton NJCAR is known for representing new car dealers, but just as NJMTA has truck dealer members so too does NJCAR. The new executive of the association, on the job 6 weeks, is Laura Perrotta. Laura was previously the executive of the national tuck dealer association, so she testified first hand to the devastation this regulation has wrought in California. Testifying with her were the owners of Gabrielli, Hoover, and Frank’s Truck Center. Spencer Campbell, Campbell Supply, testified his employees are family and he began hanging with the service guys when he was 9 years old. It was powerful testimony, and the committee received it that way. Also testifying were Shore Point Distributing, and Elizabeth Truck Center and Haines Towing discussing the challenges of EV tow trucks. This went back and forth for three hours.

When testimony was completed, the bill was voted out of committee 13-0. A unanimous vote on a controversial bill is not a normal occurrence in Trenton and speaks to the power of small business owners testifying. And the vote was unanimous on a bill that Governor Murphy opposes. How this will ultimately be determined is unknown. But NJMTA will be there fighting for our industry until it is ultimately determined.

It is now the decision of the Assembly Speaker as to whether he will post it for a vote in the full Assembly. NJMTA is advocating it be posted on December 19^th. If you haven’t yet written your legislators please find the previous email NJMTA sent you and do so.

Here is an audio link to the hearing. It was the second bill taken up. The first bill was very quick so when you begin listening do not fast forward.

December 9, 2024

TO: NJMTA Members

FROM: Eric DeGesero, NJMTA Lobbyist

This Thursday December 12, 2024, at 10:00am in Trenton the NJ General Assembly Transportation & Independent Authorities Committee will take testimony on Assembly Bill 4967, which delays the implementation of the Advanced Clean Truck EV mandate, by two years. 

NJMTA leadership will testify in support of the bill. However, for us to be successful, we will need as many trucking companies and truck dealerships as possible to show up and support Assembly Bil 4967. Support includes testifying in support of the bill or submitting a witness slip stating your name and title and name of your company indicating you wish to be recorded in the legislative record as supporting but do not wish to testify. Your mere presence in the room is a huge benefit even if you don’t wish to testify, especially since the truck haters will be there in full force. If you wish to testify, please email Jennifer Blazovic (jblazovic@njtrucks.org) as I would like to have a discussion with you beforehand.

The State House is located at 125 West State Street, Trenton, NJ.

If you cannot attend, you can watch the hearing here. Scroll down to “Live Proceedings” then scroll to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities. The committee hearing may not start exactly at 10:00am. Keep refreshing your browser. Assembly Bill 4967 is one of seven bills on the agenda. 

 CLICK HERE Please find the coalition letter sent this morning in support of S3817/A4967 11/19/24

CLICK HERE for copy of NJMTA letter with NJCAR to Governor Murphy. 9/9/24

CLICK HERE for a copy of letter from Edge Consulting to Senate President Scutari & Assembly Speaker Coughlin 8/12/24

November 18, 2024

TO:                NJMTA Members

FROM:           Eric DeGesero, NJMTA Lobbyist

Legislation has been introduced in both the NJ Senate and General Assembly which would delay the start of the NJDEP’s Advanced Clean Truck (EV) regulation until January 1, 2027. Senate Bill 3817 is sponsored by Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) and Assembly Bill 4967 is sponsored by Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Bergen).

This is positive but we are a long way from this becoming law. And the only way it will become law is if the trucking industry – both fleets and dealers – fully engage. Engagement takes many forms – public relations, political action committee support, and grassroots outreach.

NJMTA has previously asked for your financial support, and we will continue to do so. However, the purpose of this email is grassroots outreach.

Body of Email to Legislators

Below is the body of an email that you should cut and paste into the email you send. What is missing from the email is the most important part – the first paragraph. Only you can write this paragraph since it is the biography of your company. What type of truck fleet (local, regional, interstate), how many years in business, employees, locations, size of fleet, annual turnover of fleet, etc., same thing for truck dealers.

I also ask that you personalize experiences to date you have had with operating EV trucks within your existing fleet and/or how your truck purchasing is already being impacted by the ACT regulations. If you are a truck dealer, please detail the challenges you have had trying to sell vehicles that are three times the price, no one wants to buy, and how it is impeding your ability to sell your customers the trucks they do want to buy.

A persuasive email from a constituent who is an employer and taxpayer is essential if we are going to succeed. It is also essential that if these bills are heard in committee, we have a large turnout of individuals attend and testify in support of the bills.

Customers & Employees

Please share this email with your employees and customers and urge them to send emails also, writing their own first paragraph. Their livelihoods are at stake too.

Who to Send the Email To

1.  Below is a list of the members of legislative leadership. Everyone needs to send them an email.

1.  You also need to email the legislators who represent the town you live in and the town(s) your business is based. The State of New Jersey is divided into 40 Legislative Districts, each with one senator and two assembly members. Use this link from the NJ Legislature’s website to help you find your legislators.

The NJ Legislature’s website allows you to send an email through an auto-fill page on their website. Please do not use this. All legislators can be emailed in one email, simply address the email “Dear NJ Legislature”

Subject Line: Vote YES on S3817/A4967

The email addresses for NJ Legislators are as follows:

Senators: senLastname@njleg.org. For example, if you live in Elizabeth you live in the 20^th Legislative District and your Senator is Joe Cryan sencryan@njleg.org. The only exception, Senator Bob Smith (District 17) is senbsmith@njleg.org

Assemblymembers: The emails are gender specific. For example, if you live in Elizabeth you live in the 20^th Legislative District and Union your Assemblymembers are Assemblywoman Annette Quijano aswquijano@njleg.org and Assemblyman Reginald Atkins asmatkins@njleg.org. The only exception, Assemblyman Sean Kean (District 30) asmskean@njleg.org

 

Email Text

Dear NJ Legislature,

FIRST PARAGRAPH BIOGRAPHY.

I am writing to ask you to vote in favor of Senate Bill 3817 and Assembly Bill 4967.

The NJDEP has adopted California’s ACT regulation which requires a certain ratio of EV trucks to be sold relative to regular diesel trucks, before additional diesel trucks can be sold.

As a business in the trucking industry, we need the most cost effective and efficient means of moving the nation’s freight. In the future that might be heavy-duty EV electric trucks but that isn’t the case today, for the following reasons:

·     EV heavy-duty trucks are three times more expensive than regular heavy-duty trucks.

·     Heavy-duty trucks cannot exceed 80,000 GVWR lbs. Heavy-duty EV trucks are 8,000 lbs. heavier, so for every ten existing heavy-duty trucks, EV heavy duty trucks will necessitate an eleventh.

·     More trucks require more CDL drivers at a time when industry is having difficulty filling positions.

·     Passenger cars charge in kilowatt hours, heavy duty trucks charge in megawatt hours. This order of magnitude requires more infrastructure, not only for the bank of heavy-duty EV truck chargers but possibly utility upgrades like a new or expanded substation. The US Department of Energy estimates a utility substation upgrade can cost up to $5 million and a new substation can cost up to $35 million.

·     In the past four months the Murphy Administration announced federal funding for two heavy duty vehicle charging projects: $100 million for the charging of 130 NJ Transit buses in the Meadowlands and NJ’s participation in a $250 million multi-state grant for public heavy-duty EV charging on the I-95 corridor, of which NJ’s share is $84 million. Both projects will be finished in 2029.

·     For multi-state truck fleets adoption of ACT may result in them re-domiciling in a state that has not adopted the regulation. For many, they already have physical locations in other states. This means the annual registration of approximately $1,500 per truck will go to another state. And those new diesel trucks will drive the same routes and serve the same customers in New Jersey as they do today.

For the above reasons please vote YES on S3817/A4967.

Sincerely,

NAME

TITLE

COMPANY

Legislative Leadership

Senate President Nick Scutari senscutari@njleg.org

Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz senruiz@njleg.org

Senate Minority Leader Tony Bucco senbucco@njleg.org

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin asmcoughlin@njleg.org

Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald asmgreenwald@njleg.org

Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio asmdimaio@njleg.org

October 31, 2024

To:    NJMTA Members

From:  Helder Rebelo, NJMTA President

 Over the course of the past week NJMTA’s efforts fighting to delay the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) regulations have moved to center stage in Trenton. The Governor and his environmentalist allies are launching a full court press against Senate Bill 3817 (Diegnan) and Assembly Bill 4967 (Calabrese) which delay implementation of ACT until January 1, 2027.

Today the Murphy Administration is holding a press conference in opposition to the bills. This morning NJMTA member Joe Cambria, Cambria Truck Sales and Eric DeGesero, our lobbyist, are quoted in this story. We issued the below joint press release with the NJ Coalition of Auto Retailers in response to the press conference.

We will be issuing a call to action soon asking you to contact your legislators urging their support for Senate Bill 3817 and Assembly Bill 4967.

**************************************************

For Immediate Release: October 31, 2024

Contact: Jeanette Hoffman (908) 418-0859

NJ CAR and NJ Motor Truck Association: 

EV Truck Mandate Terrifying for NJ Consumers

—ACT Will Cost in the Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to NJ Consumers

--Urges Legislature to Protect NJ Families and Businesses by Delaying Unworkable Mandate by Two Years

TRENTON—Jim Appleton, President of NJ CAR, and Eric DeGesero, lobbyist for NJ Motor Truck Association, released the following statement today in regards to a Murphy Administration press event on mandated Electric Truck regulations. These regulations would drive up costs on transportation, grocery prices, small businesses, and the overall cost of living and doing business in New Jersey. 

NJCAR and NJ Motor Truck Association stated: 

“It’s fitting that we’re talking about mandated truck electrification on Halloween, since the overall cost to New Jersey families, businesses, and consumers is absolutely terrifying. 

"While we all support the overall goal of reducing emissions and a cleaner environment, mandating electric truck fleets is simply not feasible at this point in time for many reasons. Electric trucks are three times more expensive, they haul less freight per truck due to battery’s weight which means more trucks on the road, they require too long to charge, and the charging infrastructure is not yet available.

"The cost of complying with these requirements is astronomical, in the hundreds of millions of dollars, virtually all of which will be passed on to New Jersey consumers in what will become some of the most expensive delivered goods costs in the nation. While inflation has somewhat cooled, affordability is still a huge concern, evidenced by the fact that grocery prices in New Jersey have increased 28% more than the national average in 2024. Everything that arrives at the store, or our front door, gets there via a truck, or multiple trucks, so increased transportation costs are factored into everyday purchases.

"While we appreciate the intention of today’s announcement and the initial investment in charging infrastructure, we still have a long way to go before truck electrification is remotely feasible. We applaud Senator Diegan and Assemblyman Calabrese for their reasonable approach and urge the immediate adoption of S-3817 and A-4967, which will delay ACT (Advanced Clean Transportation) by two years. A delay is not only reasonable, but essential for the uninterrupted flow of commerce through our region and across the nation.”