WASHINGTON — The Modern, Clean Safe Trucks Act of 2025 heads to the House floor today.
This bill is a move to repeal the 12% federal excise tax imposed on the first retail sale of certain heavy trucks, trailers and tractors that generally are used on the highway.
“First implemented over a century ago to help finance America’s effort in World War I, the FET has become the largest excise tax on any product, adding $24,000 to the cost of each new clean-diesel tractor-trailer,” said Chris Spear, American Trucking Associations’ president, CEO. “Keeping this antiquated tax on the books imposes an enormous hardship, particularly for the small fleets, family businesses, and independent truckers who make up the overwhelming majority of trucking. Removing this burden will allow motor carriers to replace their trucks with modern, safer, and cleaner equipment, which will in turn provide a boost to manufacturing jobs.”
Antiquated Tax
According to the Truckload Carriers Association, the FET is an antiquated and discriminatory tax, initially adopted over 100 years ago to help pay for World War I, wherein it first applied to all vehicles but today is only imposed on heavy-duty trucks. Since its initial implementation, the tax burden has steadily risen and now increases the cost of new heavy-duty trucks and trailers by $22,000 on average. By driving up the cost of equipment, the tax hinders fleet investment and delays the purchase of safer and more fuel-efficient trucks.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
