Washington State Debates Idling Fine Bill
While not quite up to California’s level of regulation, Washington is still pretty high up there when it comes to regulating the trucking industry. The Evergreen State is giving California a run for its money with a new bill being debated in its state Senate. Senate Bill 6304 would fine a truck driver $300 to $1000 for idling more than five minutes.
No Exceptions?
The Bill is 36 pages long and has thousands upon thousands of words. We searched for the word “traffic” in the document and found nothing related to an exemption for trucks on the highway that are idling because of factors beyond the driver’s control, such as an accident three miles ahead. If the driver thinks they are going to be still for a while, he or she will need to turn the truck off!
The reasoning behind the Bill is to reduce vehicular emissions. When it comes to standard cars such as sedans, the fuel needed to start the engine is about equal to ten seconds of idling. Assuming the same logic applies to its heavier cousins, Washington State is hoping to save at least 4 minutes and 50 seconds of fuel here and there to reduce greenhouse gasses.
Additionally, the Bill restricts the usage of a “diesel-fueled auxiliary power system” near facilities where people congregate, such as schools and hospitals for longer than five minutes at a time. Lawmakers hope that motivating drivers to get deliveries done while the vehicle is not on will also make the air in these locations easier to breathe.
Conclusion
If the law passes the Senate and House for Washington, and then gets signed by its governor, it will become law on January 1st, 2026, according to its latest amendment at the time of publishing.
While we ultimately agree with the spirit of the bill (pollution, especially near hospitals, is bad), the system in place of fining truckers feels like an undue burden placed upon them. It is likely that should this become law, it will follow in the footsteps of other controversial trucking regulations and have its day in court.
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