Argonne Lab Offers Heavy-Duty Vehicle Emissions Calculator

Photo via NGVAmerica.

Argonne National Laboratory launched the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Emissions Calculator (HDVEC) at a presentation at FedFleet 2018 in Washington, D.C. This online resource was created to provide state officials and fleet managers with an accurate tool to gauge emissions reductions across various medium- and heavy-duty vehicle project options affiliated with the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Settlement. NGVAmerica welcomes the HDVEC tool as reflecting current vehicle availability and emissions performance data and congratulates Argonne on its success.

“As public officials begin to evaluate how best to clean their state's air with their allotted VW Trust funding, this resource will prove vital in evaluating cost-effectiveness of real-world vehicle options,” said Andrew Burnham of Argonne's Center for Transportation Research. “The Vehicle Emissions Calculator is a valuable tool for policymakers, fleet managers and procurement administrators alike as they look to compare vehicle technologies for emissions reductions associated with fleet operations.”

Available at the Argonne website and linked at the NGVAmerica's website, the HDVEC estimates the vehicle operation nitrogen oxide (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as well as the well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) of current commercially-available alternative fuel medium- and heavy-duty vehicles eligible for funding under the VW settlement. Volkswagen's $2.9 billion Environmental Mitigation Trust fund provides each state an incredible opportunity to make an immediate and tangible impact on air quality by targeting medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, the leading source of these toxic air contaminants in almost every metropolitan area.

“Heavy-duty vehicles are the fastest growing segment of U.S. transportation in terms of energy use and emissions, and HDVs are major emitters of NOx, diesel particulate matter, and greenhouse gases,” said NGVAmerica President Daniel Gage. “Mobile sources account for 50 percent of America's smog-precursor emissions like NOx. This calculator demonstrates that allocating funds to deploy low-NOx ...Read the rest of this story

Tesla just made a big change to how it sells its at-home batteries — and it could be great for business (TSLA, HD)

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Phillips Industries Components Made Standard on International Class 8 Trucks

The Phillips Industries 3-in-1 Electrical and Air Assemblies were one of the components that were made standard equipment on International Class 8 trucks. Photo: Phillips Industries

Navistar has chosen additional Phillips Industries products as standard equipment for International Class 8 trucks, the company announced.

International model year 2017 trucks added the following components from Phillips Industries as standard equipment:

• Nylon Air Coils
• Rubber Air Hoses
• Gladhands
• Pogosticks and Tracker Bar Spring Kits for back of cab cable support
• 3-in-1 Electrical and Air Assemblies, spiral wrapped for a clean organized look

Additionally, for model year 2018 International Trucks, the Phillips Stow-A-Way single and dual hose holder will become standard equipment. Prior to the new products being added, Phillips Industries had enjoyed standard position on International Trucks with their ABS electrical cables and QCS2 (Quick-Change Socket) that prevents moisture and contamination from entering the electrical system.

“Phillips Industries appreciates this latest example of Navistar's continuing endorsement of the Phillips brand,” said Ron Alvarez, director – North American & global OEM/OES sales. “Our success is directly tied to the inclusion of our products on vehicles manufactured by the top truck and trailer OEM's.”

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Pilot Flying J Fraud Trial Winds Down

In 2012, the FBI alleged that Pilot Flying J defrauded as many as 5,500 customers of more than $56 million in rebates which were owned but never paid. Photo: Jim Park

The trial of four former Pilot Flying J sales executives accused of defrauding trucking companies in a fuel rebate scam is coming to a close, with final arguments and deliberations scheduled for next week, according to a report in The Knoxville News Sentinel.

The trial began in November of last year, and through 19 days in the Chattanooga courtroom, the prosecution and representatives of the four accused offered evidence and testimony. On trial were former executive vice president of Pilot Flying J Mark Hazelwood, former president Scott Wombold, and two former sales representatives, Karen Mann and Heather Jones.

The fraud case dates back to 2012, when the FBI found that Pilot defrauded as many as 5,500 customers of more than $56 million in rebates that were owed but never paid. The victimized trucking companies were promised a certain amount in fuel rebates but the former sales staff would reduce the amount at a later date and lie to customers in order to increase profits. So far, 14 former Pilot employees have plead guilty to their role in scam. Some of the employees that previously pleaded guilty appeared as witnesses in this latest trial, detailing the inner workings of the fraud scheme at the company.

Details emerged about how sales employees felt pressured to comply with the fraud scheme and the casual manner in which employees treated it. The fraud often targeted customers that former sales employees viewed as easy targets. The amount that certain members of the sales staff were able to defraud from customers was often tied to sales bonuses ...Read the rest of this story

CARB Loses Appeal in Lawsuit over Emissions Compliance

An appeals court has ruled that CARB had overstepped its authority in allowing small fleets to delay compliance and failed to consider the economic and environmental impacts. Photo: Jim Park

California's Fifth District Court of Appeals has affirmed a ruling from 2016 that the California Air Resources Board overstepped its authority in allowing small trucking companies to delay complying with certain emissions regulations.

The Superior Court of California's Central Division originally ruled against CARB in June 2016, but CARB vowed to appeal the decision. The case was brought to the court by John R Lawson Rock and Oil of Fresno and the California Trucking Association, alleging that CARB failed to follow proper administrative procedures when it granted small fleets a temporary reprieve from certain emissions standards.

“The appellate court's decision is a significant victory for CTA and compliant truck fleets of all sizes who spent millions to comply with CARB's 2008 Truck and Bus Rule only to have the rules of the game changed midway through,” said Shawn Yadon, CEO of the CTA in a statement. “The so-called grace period put compliant fleets at a financial and competitive disadvantage to those that, year after year, dragged their feet or refused to comply with the rule.”

CTA and John R Lawson Rock and Oil of Fresno argued that CARB was creating an uneven playing field by allowing certain companies to forgo the financial burden of complying with emissions standards.

For its part, CARB argued that it made the provisions because the costs of complying with emissions regulations have a much higher impact on very small trucking companies -- those with 3 or fewer trucks -- compared to those with large fleets.

Ultimately, the appeals court affirmed the original ruling in favor of the plaintiffs that CARB had in fact overstepped ...Read the rest of this story

FMCSA: Carriers Stymied by PeopleNet AOBRD Issue May Seek Exemption

Old Dominion Freight Line is seeking a one-year exemption from the ELD mandate. Photo: ODFL

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering a request by one motor carrier for a one-year exemption from electronic logging rules so that its AORBD/ELD provider can provide a specific type of software as having been made “on behalf of all motor carriers in similar situations concerning the integration of PeopleNet's ELD software into fleet management systems.”

The agency's announcement, published in the Federal Register for Jan. 31, includes a call for public comment on the notice of application for exemption made by Old Dominion Freight Line. Presumably, given FMCSA's assertion about what the ODFL application represents, comments may include remarks by fleets that amount to requests for the very same exemption.

Earlier last month, FMCSA issued a 90-day exemption to ODFL and other PeopleNet customers to address a portion of the ELD rule's grandfather clause, which states that if a fleet adds any trucks between now and 2019, they must use an ELD, not an AOBRD. That short-term exemption gives affected fleets until March 18, 2018 to integrate their existing AOBRDs to fleet management and safety systems.

“Old Dominion requests this exemption to allow the company to install ELD devices running on automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD) software in commercial motor vehicles added to the company's fleet for up to one year from the December 18, 2017, ELD mandate compliance date,” FMCSA explained in its Jan. 31 notice. “If granted, this modified ELD phase-in period will allow Old Dominion's AORBD/ELD provider, PeopleNet, to complete the development of the software necessary to integrate ELD data with the company's fleet management and safety systems to fully meet the ELD mandate.”

FMCSA further explained that ODFL began equipping trucks with PeopleNet AOBRDs in 2010 and that data ...Read the rest of this story