Article Summary
Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, July 7, 2026:
- Engine makers align with latest EPA guidance on DEF derates.
- Big interstate closures this weekend in Pacific Northwest.
- Mack intros “Lock & Leave” software updates.
Two more engine OEs update DEF derate-related software
Engine makers Cummins and Paccar are the latest engine OEMs to issue updated software putting an end to 5-mph derates related to diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) inducements. Both companies announced the software updates Monday, July 6.
Paccar said that Kenworth Truck Company and Peterbilt Motors Company will implement updated software for trucks equipped with Paccar MX-11 and MX-13 engines to meet updated guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency. Trucks manufactured after July 20, 2026, will have the software installed at the factory. Trucks built after 2018 can get the software updates at Kenworth and Peterbilt dealerships.
Paccar’s updates increase the final inducement speed limit from 5 mph to 25 mph and extend the timeline from 4 to 160 hours for component-related or fluid-quality issues before reaching the final inducement speed limit.
[Related: EPA looks to permanently end diesel derates due to DEF, aftertreatment problems]
Cummins, meanwhile, has begun offering revised calibrations for more than 1.5 million engines in medium- and heavy-duty trucks, including certain truck applications dating back to model year 2017 and certain motorcoach applications dating back to model year 2018.
For heavy-duty truck and tractor engines, the updates extend the time to initial and subsequent derate events for certain tampering and DEF-quality conditions and increase final derate speed from 5 mph to 25 mph. For eligible motorcoach applications, the updates provide additional flexibility, including more time before initial inducement, removal of the secondary derate step in certain conditions, and an increase in final derate speed from 5 mph to 50 mph.
“We appreciate EPA’s engagement with industry stakeholders and view the revised guidance as an important step toward addressing customer concerns in a practical, compliance-focused way,” said Brett Merritt, vice president and president, Engine Business. “Cummins has acted to support reliable implementation of these updates, help customers and operators reduce unnecessary downtime, and continue to meet emissions requirements.”
Freightliner and Western Star parent Daimler Trucks North America announced last month it would update more than 330,000 of its engines.
[Related: Detroit engines getting DEF-derate update]
Interstate closures planned in Oregon this weekend
The Oregon Department of Transportation is planning two major overnight interstate closures in the Portland area this weekend.
Northbound I-205 will be closed overnight on Friday, July 10, at the Abernethy Bridge, and both directions of I-5 will be closed overnight on Saturday, July 11, through the Rose Quarter.
Only one interstate will be closed each night -- the closures will not overlap. Expect delays, allow extra travel time, and follow signed detours, ODOT said.
The NB I-205 closure will begin at 11 p.m. Pacific time Friday and will allow for concrete pouring on the Abernethy Bridge, which crosses the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn. The on-ramp from OR 43 to NB I-205 also will be closed. SB I-205 will remain open.
NB traffic will bypass I-205 by using detours on I-5 and I-84. Local traffic can use the Arch Bridge to cross the river.
The full I-5 closure through the Rose Quarter will begin 10 p.m. Saturday to allow crews to install a new overhead sign structure near the Oregon Convention Center. The closure could last up to 14 hours, ending by noon Sunday. I-5 SB will be closed beginning at Exit 302B to I-405 (Fremont Bridge). I-5 NB will be closed beginning at Exit 300 to I-84.
The ramp to I-84 EB from I-5 NB will stay open, as will the ramp from Broadway to I-5 NB. All lanes of I-5 NB will be open beyond this point.
Drivers on I-84 WB will be directed to I-5 SB, where all lanes of I-5 will remain open beyond that point.
Separately, ODOT also announced that the SB I-5 Exit 248 off-ramp to Delaney Road SE will be closed 6 a.m. Sunday, July 12, through 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, for work on a separate I-5 project.
Mack's over-the-air update improvements
Mack Trucks on Tuesday announced a new “Lock & Leave” enhancement to Mack Over-the-Air (OTA) that allows remote software updates to complete while the truck is unattended after the driver parks, locks it up and walks away.
The new capability helps customers keep trucks current with the latest software while maximizing uptime and minimizing interruptions to daily operations, Mack said.
The move follows a similar update from Mack’s sister company Volvo Trucks last month.
With trucks increasingly software-defined, updates play a critical role in delivering new features, improving performance and reliability, and supporting recalls and service campaigns, Mack added, noting Lock & Leave allows many of those updates to happen during normal downtime without requiring the driver to remain with the vehicle.
Once a driver initiates an eligible software update through Driver Display Activation, they simply exit the truck, lock it and leave. The truck stays powered on only long enough to finish installing the update, then shuts itself down. When the driver returns, the truck is updated and ready for work.
The same's true in-shop, where a technician can start updates on one truck after another without going back to each one.
The enhancement is expected to become available this fall, following final validation. It will roll out first on Mack’s newest models -- the Mack Pioneer, Mack Anthem, Mack Granite and Mack Keystone.
[Related: New dogs in Mack's house: Brand-new Keystone, other truck news at ConExpo]
“Mack customers measure success by how much time their trucks spend on the road,” said Jonathan Randall, president, Mack Trucks North America. “Lock & Leave removes another barrier to remote software updates. Drivers can start the update, finish their day, and let the truck take care of the rest.”
