Obama Administration Focuses On Mileage Requirements For Big Rigs And Large Trucks

Dumb move.

Good call in my opinion, there are a lot of gains to be had with these vehicles. I am already seeing trailers with fairings between the wheels for what I assume is better fuel economy on the highway. I know truck drivers like their old school styling but there is a lot to gain with proper aerodynamic devices. Sure there would be costs involoved upfront but because commercial vehicles travel a lot I am sure the fuel economy savings would recoup initial costs.

This is a great move! Tell me one contractor or big rig driver that would not like a few extra miles added onto their mpg.

Hopefully these fuel economy regulations don't effect performance. Big rigs are dangerous enough with what "limited" power they have.

If anything the slower they go the safer everyone else is. You can always out accelerate one if you need to, but the problem is when they have to stop.

Have you ever been slowed by one of these trucks on a winding mountain road with a complete inability to pass them?

That would be inconvinient but not dangerous, and like I said everyone is better of on the other side of the mountain.

Apparently you haven't been in that situation. What's dangerous is the line of automobile's behind the truck with at least one aggressive driver ignoring the road lines and trying to pass everyone.

over 1,500lb ft of torque at 1200 rpm is not exactly limited power. Some of these trucks with 15 litre engines produce quite a bit more than that. I drive an 83,000 lb cement pump 18 wheeler and while it isn't a race car, even turned down to 350hp the truck would still be able to break any speed limit where it not governed down to 60 mph.

But as heavy as some these trucks are, even doubling the power still wouldn't get it up the steeper hills too much faster. Some of our trucks are governed to 350hp while the newer ones have 425 and the difference in acceleration is unnoticeable other than it can get to 40 mph from where I enter the main road to the bridge where my 350hp tractor gets to about 38 or 39. the 425 does seem to carry its speed very slightly better but you only notice is you pay close attention to the speedo on each truck and compare them. Aerodynamics are the only way to make these trucks better on fuel.

with all the issues we face immediately, he's worried about mileage...

Big rig and large truck mileage is the last thing He needs to do!

This administration hasn't a clue about creating jobs and competition.
Regulating is not leading. Unemployment, the economy, the stock market are spiraling downward and the future of young Americans has never looked bleaker. Where is Mr. President...not in Washington working his tail off to correct things...he is at a seaside home and playing golf !
When your family's financial situation is in crisis you do not go on vacation, you do not keep borrowing...you cut expenses, prioritize expenses and set an example in your behavior to calm members of your family and give them hope. The only change we have now is the few cents
left in our pockets. November 2012 cannot come soon enough !

Obama care is unconstitutional and will be thrown out by the courts eventually.He wasted so much money to pass it.Its the last thing businesses need to survive in this nasty economy.He needs to get jobs back but he is just trying to make it harder for businesses.

This is nothing but diversion. And yet another chance for the Soetoro administration to show it's only strong capability..continuing to destroy America's ability to compete. Excessive regulation is NOT what we need to turn our economy around, but the Gov't need to loosen the regulatory noose. From Fuel economy standards to drilling to reducing the unchecked power of the EPA, this is how we can turn this country around.

It's the lack of financial regulation that lead to the mortgage and housing crisis in 2008,the bank bailouts,the trillion plus put into AIG.Clearly in the financial sector when left to more self regulation(Glass/Steigel act)they did a crappy job.But lets go further back in time. How about 2001 to 2006. You had a Republican President and a Republican majority in both houses of congress.How many new jobs were created in this country as opposed to how many left overseas. I agree that Obama care has done nothing to help our health care system especially in terms of controlling costs.Further there has been no jobs program. Cutting a small amount of payroll taxes is a usless way of solving the employment problem. We need to get the hell out of Afganistan and Iraq,cut the defense budget by 30 to 40%, raise the eligibility age for Social Security to age 70,(regauire a means test for the wealthy)make some cuts in medicare, and have a 25% flat tax for the wealthy(no deductions allowed).
We need to tax corporations more that hire workers overseas but give tax breaks to corporations that hire in the US. We can reduce regulatory rules to a certain extent but it should be on the administrative side.
But we need to have a jobs program for specific areas of our economy that need maintenance, rebuilding,and repair. Oil companies do not need a special tax cut anymore. We need to stop coddeling China with the way they handle their currency. If they will not stop controlling it then we need to put a 25 to 30 % tariff on their goods coming into this country. Many have said that the conditions have changed that have allowed jobs to go overseas. Well this country can start to change it back. We have to stop being the world's policeman and the world humanitarian. Our country needs to come first and foremost.