Safety Saves Money when Buying Heavy Duty Truck Parts

Whatever one's personal political beliefs, perhaps most of us would agree with the theory that governments, whether federal, state or local, are much better at talking about getting something done than actually doing something.

Since talking about solutions doesn't solve anything, and new laws or changes to old ones are few and far between, governments have recently begun experimenting more with a third option - paying people to take actions that Congress cannot legislate into existence.

Want to boost home ownership and stimulate the housing market? Offer first-time buyers a $8,000 tax credit. Want to boost the auto industry while promoting the purchase of more fuel-efficient cars? Create a "Cash for Clunkers" program. Want to encourage the use of environmentally responsible heavy-duty truck parts? Offer tax credits to manufacturers.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy will award $2.3 billion in tax credits to manufacturers of clean energy equipment. Qualifying manufacturers will produce a wide variety of products including solar, wind, and geothermal energy equipment; fuel cells, microturbines, and batteries; electric cars; electric grids to support the transmission of renewable energy; energy conservation technologies; and, for the heavy duty trucking industry, equipment that captures and sequesters carbon dioxide or reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Making our roadways safer, and not just cleaner, is another issue being addressed via financial incentive. Technology breakthroughs in heavy-duty brake parts and truck parts can reduce accidents and save lives, and there is now legislation moving through both houses of Congress to provide a tax credit for the purchase of advanced safety equipment for heavy-duty trucks and other vehicles.