October 31, 2024, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris 2024 presidential election news

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Many big truckers are supporting former President Trump this cycle because they are concerned about the impact a Harris administration would have on the important auto industry, a trucking company executive admitted.

The presidential election is just five days away, and Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have presented different future prospects for the auto industry during the campaign.

Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking, Chicago's largest specialty contract trucking company, said there are five reasons truckers are more likely to support a Trump presidency this cycle: costs, increased regulatory burdens, infrastructure, truck range and less cargo capacity due to the battery.

“I personally don’t vote along party lines, but I do support candidates with policies. And I would say policies are the gateway to trucker choice – policies that help small businesses thrive,” Kucharski said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. “Right now, many small business owners in the trucking industry are seriously concerned about the impact Kamala Harris would have on our industry if she takes office.”

The main problem, according to Kucharski, is the cost.

“Truck drivers are already struggling to stay afloat due to issues such as skyrocketing diesel costs. There is too much flow for diesel. Truck drivers drive fewer miles and pay more for fuel,” he said. “Another blow for truck drivers is this increased regulatory burden. Truck drivers are over-regulated.”

Kucharski added that truckers support electric trucks, but the industry is unprepared for mandates like those being enforced under the Biden-Harris administration.

Harris' campaign told Fox News Digital that she does not support electric vehicle regulations. However, the Biden-Harris Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced a final rule in March that requires up to two-thirds of all new vehicle sales to be electric by 2032. The authority has also set a goal of requiring 40% of heavy-duty trucks to be emission-free by 2032.

The EPA had previously predicted that the standards could result in 50% of commercial trucks, 35% of short-haul tractor-trailers and 25% of long-haul tractor-trailers being electric by 2032.

“The small transport companies simply cannot bear these extreme costs. And people say the bigger companies can do it. But I think they will have a problem. It's a great idea, but I don't think it's going to work,” Kucharski said of the final rule.

This is an excerpt from an article by Aubrie Spady.