Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 5, 2024:
Former U.S. Attorney General’s group suing California over emissions rule
A group whose legal arm is led by former U.S. Attorney General William Barr is suing California over its Advanced Clean Fleets regulation requiring fleets to transition to zero-emissions trucks, beginning this year in the drayage sector.
The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree Chamber), whose Center for Legal Action is chaired by Barr, and Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) filed the lawsuit on April 1. The ACF rule is also under fire from the California Trucking Association, which filed suit in October, and the Western States Trucking Association's two suits against the ACF and CARB's Advanced Clean Trucks rule as well.
“The ability to move people and products reliably and affordably is foundational to free enterprise and a functioning marketplace that serves American consumers,” said Gentry Collins, AmFree Chamber CEO. “The attempt currently underway by the state of California to ban liquid fuels and internal combustion engines is a major threat to the American way of life and terrible climate policy to boot.”
AmFree Chamber called the mandate “a power grab that seeks to regulate out-of-state truck fleets if they so much as cross the state line even once per year.”
“AED members supply and service the equipment critical to our nation’s construction, agriculture, forestry, industrial and energy sectors,” said Brian P. McGuire, AED’s President and CEO. “We cannot sit on the sidelines as California exceeds its legal authority and businesses are forced to adopt products that aren’t readily available in the marketplace.”
[Related: Electric-truck purchase incentives present big challenges for small fleets, owner-operators]
The complaint claims that the ACF is illegal, stating that the California Air Resources Board has not obtained a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption from the Environmental Protection Agency, adding that it is separately preempted by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A).
Regarding a Clean Air Act waiver, which CARB has applied for, the lawsuit states that “CARB refuses to concede that it needs a waiver to enforce” the rule. In EISA, Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to improve the fuel efficiency of trucks exceeding 8,500 pounds. The lawsuit states that CARB violated this law because they require manufacturers to go further in improving fuel consumption than the federal maximum.
The lawsuit also claims that CARB’s rules violate the F4A because they “relate to and are intimately connected with carrier rates, routes, and services, and so they are preempted” by F4A. “The rules compel motor carriers to modify their operations in ways that will significantly affect their services, routes, and rates.”
The lawsuit seeks to deem the ACF illegal, and asks for a permanent injunction blocking its enforcement.
[Related: Do fleets need to comply with California's now-halted diesel ban?]
Love’s opens five new Speedco locations
Love’s Travel Stops is continuing to expand offerings with the opening of five new Speedco locations across the U.S., along with upgrades at two existing locations.
These investments add 23 service bays and 10 service trucks to the company’s truck care network.
The new and remodeled locations can be found next to Love’s locations in:
- Nogales, Arizona (new)
- St. Augustine, Florida (new)
- Michigan City, Indiana (new)
- Picayune, Mississippi (new)
- Watertown, New York (new)
- Waco, Georgia (remodeled)
- Canton, Mississippi (remodeled)
These locations all offer tire, lube, light mechanical services, roadside services and DOT inspections for owner-operators and fleets/drivers. In addition, Love’s Truck Care and Speedco are the exclusive warranty repair and campaign recall service provider for Freightliner and International trucks.
Love’s Truck Care and Speedco have more than 430 locations across the country with more than 1,300 service bays and 900 roadside service trucks.
Company debuts map to help drivers find showers
In a step towards enhancing road hygiene and convenience for truckers, RinseKit, a portable pressurized shower company, announced the launch of a unique online resource that maps out shower facilities at truck stops across the United States.
This tool, derived from Allstays.com's extensive list of U.S. truck stops and integrated with Google Maps for ease of use, allows truck drivers to quickly locate shower facilities, marked by blue pins for availability and red pins for absence, directly from RinseKit's website.
The initiative underscores RinseKit's dedication to providing practical cleaning solutions for individuals on the go, the company said, particularly for truckers who face challenges in maintaining personal hygiene due to irregular and often inadequate shower facilities at truck stops.
"We recognize the unique challenges faced by truckers every day,” said Steven Winters, RinseKit CEO. “Our goal was to create a solution that not only aids in locating hygiene facilities, but also aligns with our mission to promote well-being and convenience for people on the move. This map is a testament to our commitment to innovation and support for the trucking community."
