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The trucking industry is notorious for pre-buying trucks before each Environmental Protection Agency-mandated change in heavy-truck engines. Many fleets do so because they are concerned about the reliability of the new technology, or they are trying to avoid the increased cost of new technology. Both are valid concerns.

As chairman of the American Truck Dealers, the challenge for all of us — truck manufacturers, trucking companies and dealers — is to build relationships with members of Congress and federal regulators so that we have a voice in shaping the environment in which our businesses operate.

The people who constitute the trucking industry are among the best examples of the American work ethic — they come to work every day focused on being a driver for the North American economy. Meeting them has been one of the great joys I’ve experienced while traveling across the United States.

Being chairman of American Trucking Associations is a tremendous honor — the capstone of a career in trucking that began for me many decades ago.

For light- and heavy-duty truck operators evaluating a switch to natural gas from diesel, the recent oil-price collapse represents the most significant “bump in the road” in several years.

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By now, you’re well aware of President Obama’s announcement that he will direct the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation to set the next — i.e., the post-2018 — round of medium- and heavy-truck fuel economy and emissions standards.

After much anticipation, on March 13 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released its proposal that interstate truck drivers be required to use electronic logging devices.

The United States wants to do business with truck fleets that are more fuel-efficient, better for the environment and cheaper to operate.

This weekend, hundreds of competitors rose from relative obscurity to grab a share of glory in front of enthusiastic, if at times partisan, fans.