Today, I read an interesting article by Mike Antich over at Automotive Fleet. In his own words:
Turnover in diesel fleets happens slowly. The average service life for a medium-duty truck is 5-10 years, while a short-haul owner-operator heavy-duty truck typically has the lifespan of 18-20 years. Despite the 2007 and 2010 diesel emission standards, tens of thousands of older, dirtier trucks will remain on the road into the next decade. Is there a way to accelerate the turnover of pre-2007 diesel trucks? One way to do so would be to create a Cash for Clunkers program specifically for work trucks. [Source.]
What an interesting idea. Mike goes on to model they why and how of such a program. A voluntary program supporting cleaner fleet vehicles would surely have mass appeal among small business owners looking to turn over their trucks.
While the environmental impacts of Cash for Clunkers (officially CARS) have been largely discredited, the jury’s still out on the economic impact. If this sort of program was created for fleet owners; what kind of impact would it have? What would your business do with a newer truck?