Gas is getting ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous even. And it seems to be that President Joe Biden has equal power to make it start and make it all go away. But, for the life of me, and plenty of owner-operators on the road, the gas has remained too damn high. And it’s because of this likelihood that the American Trucking Associations have taken it upon themselves to ask President Joe Biden why exactly can’t gasoline of the diesel variety be lowered down to a lesser amount? It’s beyond intelligible. Of course, the Biden administration has to make their rounds in lowering diesel prices, if truckers are to continue operating at a proficient speed. And the ATA has certainly had enough of it.
In a statement, the ATA has said that “Right now, motor carriers are getting slammed by nightmarish surges in the price of diesel. It’s especially hard on smaller fleets, which don’t operate at a scale to negotiate rates down or lock prices into a contract. These small businesses account for 97% of trucking companies in the U.S., running 20 trucks or fewer.”
In order to resolve the issue of diesel prices, the ATA has called upon the Biden Administration to take up the following actions. Such as to utilize oil and natural gas found within the Gulf of Mexico. All by way of expediting lease sales and permits for offshore energy production. Also, there was a request made to fast-track onshore oil and natural gas. Ergo, production could be expanded.
Diesel must be preserved and made accessible without worrying about prices.
There was also a call to announce realistic development opportunities and leasing for onshore and offshore energy. For gasoline there would be pipelines rebuilt, all while making America a world-leader in emissions reduction.
The American Trucking Associations wanted to start early on the “decarbonization of the freight sector.” The ATA went on to say that “Forcing it before it makes economic and technological sense will not accelerate its arrival but instead prolong it. A large tractor-trailer traveling 100,000 miles per year consumes as much electricity as 18 homes or 44 electric cars. There is simply not enough power on the grid to electrify America’s future truck and car fleets, let alone the charging infrastructure.”
