Bad air hurts everyone, but particularly children and the elderly. People get sick from bad air and miss time from work. That has an economic impact impossible to fully measure, of course, but it's a factor that affects not only individual workers but also the business community. Aside from urging the federal government to adopt the proposed EPA rules, the general public and trucking companies can take other steps to help clean up the air. People can tell local public transportation companies that they want buses that don't run on diesel fuel.
Companies can make sure their trucks comply with existing standards.
Also, there's no reason a trucking company has to wait for the government to demand less pollution. A company can choose on its own to use the best available technology. Don't hold your breath. The Free Lance-Star Publishing Company.