Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, May 31, 2022:
Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association sue California over emissions reg deadlines
The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) on Friday sued the state of California alleging the state's California Air Resources Board (CARB) did not provide the OEMs enough lead time to meet stricter new emissions goals on new truck and engine builds.
The group, in a letter announcing the suit, wrote that on Dec. 22, 2021, "CARB adopted the Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus Regulation, a package of stringent emission standards, test procedures, and other emission-related requirements applicable to new heavy-duty on-highway engines and vehicles sold in California" requiring compliance by the start of 2024, leaving only two model years of lead time for manufacturers.
The lawsuit alleges that this violates the federal Clean Air act by not allowing manufacturers the required four full model years of lead time.
“Truck and engine manufacturers are proud that today’s modern engines reduce harmful emissions to near zero levels, and we are committed to building still cleaner products," TEMA President Jed R. Mandel said in the letter. "But CARB must provide manufacturers the minimum four years of lead time mandated by Congress. ... This lawsuit is simply to ensure that CARB follows all of the prescribed rules -- one of which is intended to maximize the likelihood of the smooth and successful implementation of new emission standards."
TEMA's lawsuit comes as other trucking-related groups have petitioned California to delay CARB enforcement of its longstanding Statewide Truck & Bus Rule's final phase at the end of the year, as the pandemic has stymied the production and sales of newer model trucks. As it stands, beginning Jan. 1, 2023, an estimated 76,000 owners who live or operates in California with a pre-2010 emissions-spec engine may lose their ability to operate within the state.
[Related: Nearly 80,000 active trucks could be barred from operating in California by year-end]
Construction season in full swing in Michigan: Planned closures on I-94, I-496
Three significant closures are upcoming in this week on major routes in Michigan. The state Department of Transportation (MDOT) will close the I-94/Michigan Avenue interchange in Jackson Wednesday, June 1, 2022 until Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, to build a roundabout. During that time, I-94/Michigan Avenue interchange, including all ramps will be closed and traffic will be detoured via the Concord and Parma Road interchanges.
Elsewhere on I-94 in the state, west of Jackson in Marshall, I-94 will be closed, including ramp closures at the I-94/I-69 interchange, over this weekend as crews demolish the 15 Mile Road bridge over 94. That closure is scheduled to start 8 p.m. Friday and extend through 6 a.m. Monday.
On Thursday, June 2, 2022, MDOT will also close part of I-496 for work until Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Both directions of I-496 traffic will be detoured "in each direction to Malcom X and St. Joseph streets, respectively, along with periodic closures of structures over I-496," according to a press release. "Motorists should expect delays during this work," in both cases, MDOT said.
"Activity will include rebuilding the freeway and interchange ramps, including operational improvements from the Lansing Road and M-99 (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) interchanges, preventive maintenance on 17 bridges, and upgrades to the service drives from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the east," the statement said.
Expedite Expo kicks off in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in July
On Time Media announced the return of the annual Expedite Expo trade show for expediting trucking pros for 2022. This year's event, slated for July 15-16 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, promises to deliver education and networking opportunities to drivers and owner-operators and offers exhibitors the chance present and discuss their services with attendees.
For 22 years now, Expedite Expo has been a marketplace for the entire expedited segment of trucking, On Time Media noted, from owner operators and drivers to carriers and vendors. It's also served the needs of those looking to break into the segment, given many Expo exhibitors are companies actively recruiting drivers and/or providing services to owners and drivers.
Registration to attend the Expo is free.
Among highlights are Friday and Saturday, July 15 and 16, morning educational workshop sessions, a "State of the Trucking Industry" panel Saturday at 10 a.m. local time with speakers John Elliot of Load One, Women in Trucking's Ellen Voie, and Marilyn Surber of Tenstreet.
“We’re thrilled to be back in our 22nd year of running the Expedite Expo," said Joe Kalafat, On Time Media owner. "This year is a real celebration; these people, America’s best drivers -- along with the carriers and service providers who exhibit -- have weathered one of the worst storms we have had to face as an industry, and though there are still many challenges ahead, their resilience and commitment is second to none."
[Related: 'Bre the Xpediter' on limits to the cargo-van hustle, business systems' value to break through]
