Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Oct. 11, 2024:
Oregon looks to delay latest emissions standards
Oregon regulators will propose delaying more strict emissions standards for new heavy-duty vehicles until 2026, the state said, because there aren't enough new trucks to meet the standards.
Overdrive sister publication Truck, Parts, Service reported that the state’s Department of Environmental Quality will propose temporary rules during the November Environmental Quality Commission meeting to adopt amendments California's Air Resources Board (CARB) is expected to make to its Advanced Clean Truck regulations. These changes will likely include an increase to the deficit makeup period from one model year to three model years, compliance based on reported sales of delivered vehicles and other changes.
"The current lack of compliance-based diesel engines means diesel truck manufacturers can't make any vehicles available for sale," DEQ spokesperson Susan Mills told TPS’ Beth Colvin.
The rule was supposed to launch in January. It required new diesel trucks, buses and vans to produce lower amounts of nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter. The first phase asked for a 75% cut in nitrogen oxides and 50% cut in particulate pollution from 2023 standards. The second phase, in 2027, would require a 90% reduction in nitrogen oxides from the 2023 standard.
The Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus regulations would be delayed until 2026 because of a shortage of compliant engines, manufacturers' limited use of compliance flexibilities such as credit purchases and emission offsets, and restrictions on ordering for dealers. California's third major trucking regulation remains in limbo and is being fought by the industry.
Read more from Colvin’s report on TPS here.
[Related: More lawsuits filed against CARB over Advanced Clean Fleets]
Trucks barred from U.S. 441 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The National Park Service (NPS) is reminding truck drivers that, despite closures of major interstates in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Helene, commercial trucks are not allowed on U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
NPS said it has seen an influx of trucks attempting to travel the road since the storm. As of Oct. 8, the park had turned away 173 trucks over the previous five days.
“While the National Park Service recognizes that major routes outside the park are currently closed, Newfound Gap Road is not safe for large, commercial vehicles,” NPS said. “Newfound Gap Road is a two-lane road with steep, continuous grades and tight curves. There are no truck lanes, runaway truck ramps or places for a large commercial vehicle to slow down and pull over.”
Up until Oct. 8, the road was completely closed overnight due to staffing issues. The park was turning away trucks during the day but was unable to staff checkpoints at night.
The park lifted the overnight road closure with the help of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Government and Sevier County (the cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville and the Sevier County government) partners, who are assisting the park in turning around commercial vehicles at checkpoints on both sides of U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road overnight.
Commercial vehicles are always prohibited on U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road and in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (with the exception of the Spur). Commercial vehicles will be stopped, turned around at checkpoints and may be subject to a federal misdemeanor violation notice and fine.
[Related: I-40 closure: Temporary repair in the works]
Driver named Highway Angel for stopping to help at fire scene
Lisa Haner, a truck driver for Quick-Way Inc., out of Ludington, Michigan, has been named a Highway Angel by the Truckload Carriers Association for helping a couple whose SUV was on fire while attached to an RV.
Lisa Haner
“I saw the woman out with her little fire extinguisher trying to blow it,” Haner said. “I got out my fire extinguisher and a man stopped in an SUV, and we went over there.”
The woman owner of the burning vehicle told her to not put herself in harm’s way to save items from the SUV, so Haner stayed with the owners until the fire department arrived. As an Army veteran with medical training, she tried to assess injuries.
“They were pretty shaken up,” she said. “The man got burned on his arm.”
Although the SUV seemed to be totaled, the motorhome was not damaged. Haner said she doesn’t know much about fires but wanted to see if she could help with injuries.
