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California towing and recovery drivers place the safety of motorists first by providing reliable roadside assistance 24/7, supporting first responders, and clearing road accidents or mechanical failures.
But now, tow truck drivers face the greatest hazard yet – it’s not a road hazard but a political one coming from Sacramento.
New electric engine regulations threaten the livelihood of tow truck and recovery drivers and small businesses and the safety of motorists. Governor Gavin Newsom’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations call for phasing out gas and diesel engines and replacing them with electric engines, even though truck manufacturers have not developed electric alternatives to meet a tow truck’s range and demanding performance and safety standards.
When the California Air Resources Board (CARB) exempted emergency vehicles from the regulations they should have considered that California Vehicle Code 165 only classifies government-owned towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles. This is why there is an urgent need to amend the vehicle code to define ALL towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles by July 2024 to prevent job losses in the industry.
In a few months, even the cleanest, most modern new towing and recovery truck chassis and bodies will no longer be assembled or sold in California, putting the businesses and jobs of those who assemble them at risk. As current towing and recovery trucks retire and are not replaced, new lower-emission trucks will no longer be available to drivers.
A legislative solution by July 2024 is urgent. Until new electric engine technology can support the demanding performance and safety standards for towing and recovery trucks, Governor Newsom and the California State Legislature must classify ALL towing and recovery trucks as emergency vehicles.
California towing and recovery drivers play a crucial role, providing 24/7 roadside assistance to over 27 million California motorists. They support first responders and clear 1,200 daily road accidents and 2,400 daily mechanical breakdowns. However, as the service life of existing tow and recovery trucks expires, no new inventory of trucks will be built or sold in California. This could lead to longer waits for motorists in distress and increased traffic congestion due to longer accident clearance times.
Because the state’s truck emission regulations were not intended for tow and recovery trucks, there is a simple legislative solution. All tow and recovery trucks would be exempted from the regulations until electric tow and recovery truck technology is invented and in production.
