Carrier Exec Says Special Fuels Are Driving Up Diesel Costs

Swift’s Berry Prods Congress on National Standard

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ASHINGTON — Fuels blended specifically for a locality or a region make diesel fuel too expensive, costing the trucking industry billions of dollars, and Congress should set a single national standard for diesel, a trucking company executive told Congress last week.

For example, diesel fuel in California, a special blend required by the state’s Air Resources Board and dubbed “CARB diesel,” costs 39 cents more per gallon than the nationwide $1.73 average for standard diesel, said Swift Transportation Vice President Dave Berry. Testifying for American Trucking Associations before the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee, Berry said Congress should do away with government’s authority to require “boutique” fuels.

“Congress should amend section 211 of the Clean Air Act to restore a single national diesel fuel standard and remove EPA’s discretion to approve boutique fuel formulations. A single national diesel fuel standard is critical to limiting the duration and magnitude of fuel price spikes, which are devastating to the health of the trucking industry,” Berry told the committee.

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