OEM Trucking

Battles over California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule rage far beyond state line

With slightly tightened restrictions under the California Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule having gone into effect at the start of 2025 and the prospect of numerous states following the Golden State’s lead, the regulatory world has been awash in dueling communications on the subject.

On a microeconomic level, the ACT has led to the halting of some truck sales in Oregon. But a bigger battle is taking shape across multiple states.

Unlike its sister regulation, the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/battles-over-californias-advanced-clean-trucks-rule-rage-far-beyond-state-line

Autonomous trucks have a triangle-shaped problem

The autonomous truck battle: Roadside cab-mounted beacons versus triangles
(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

The question of roadside warning devices adds a triangle-shaped wrinkle to autonomous truck makers’ plans after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently ruled that Aurora and Waymo did not provide enough data backing their request to ditch the traditional triangular road devices for cab-mounted warning beacons. Aurora and Waymo filed the petition in 2023 seeking a five-year...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/autonomous-trucks-have-a-triangle-shaped-problem

Daimler halts ICE truck sales in Oregon, citing dispute on clean truck credits

Daimler Truck North America last month informed its dealers in Oregon that it would not sell any new internal combustion diesel engine trucks in that state, a decision that is still in place though Oregon officials say the truck maker’s decision is the result of a misunderstanding.

At the root of the dispute is the California Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which Oregon and several other states have decided to adopt. California sets most of the provisions, and a list of states that includes New...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/daimler-halts-ice-truck-sales-in-oregon-citing-dispute-on-clean-truck-credits

Ford drops auto hauler Jack Cooper after 40 years in business together

Auto hauler Jack Cooper has lost its contract to transport vehicles for Ford Motor Co., a major blow to the unionized carrier.

Ford is believed to be Jack Cooper’s second-largest customer behind General Motors. 

In an internal memo sent to Jack Cooper employees Tuesday morning and obtained by FreightWaves, Ford notified Jack Cooper of the ending of its contract on Jan. 2, with a 30-day notice.

The contract was not expiring at that date, according to sources close to the company, but it did contain...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ford-drops-auto-hauler-jack-cooper-after-40-years-in-business-together

EPA OKs California’s tighter diesel NOx rule; can waiver survive under Trump?

The Environmental Protection Agency has granted a waiver to California to implement the state’s “Omnibus” regulation that tightens rules for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel engines.

The EPA also on Wednesday granted a waiver for the Advanced Clean Cars Rule II (ACC II), the second iteration of the state’s tighter emission standards governing automobiles. It is aimed at ceasing all sales of cars with internal combustion engines by 2035 and replacing them with zero-emission vehicles...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/epa-oks-californias-tighter-diesel-nox-rule-can-waiver-survive-under-trump

Question over ability of California to be granted environmental waivers headed to SCOTUS

California’s zero emission regulations impacting trucking will be in the background as the Supreme Court takes up the question of the ability of the federal government to issue a waiver that allows the Golden State to implement tougher environmental rules than the rest of the country. 

The Court Friday agreed to grant certiorari of an appeal from Diamond Alternative Energy. Diamond is the biofuels arm of Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO), the large independent refining company that has operations in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/question-over-ability-of-california-to-be-granted-environmental-waivers-headed-to-scotus

Werner nuclear verdict case in Texas is hugely significant, says attorney at F3

(Editor’s note: The author of this article conducted the interview with Matthew Leffler at F3.)

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – With oral arguments in the appeal of the landmark Werner Enterprises nuclear verdict case set to be heard by the Texas Supreme Court Dec. 3, trucking-focused attorney Matthew Leffler said at FreightWaves’ F3: Future of Freight Festival that “this is the most important case facing the trucking industry now.”

In a fireside chat from the main stage Wednesday at the event in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/werner-nuclear-verdictd-case-in-texas-is-hugely-significant-says-attorney-at-f3

With trailer orders down, Wabash National gets negative outlook at S&P

Trailer manufacturer Wabash National, which has seen a sharp downturn in its financial measurements, has hung on to its credit rating from S&P Global, but its outlook has been lowered to negative by the ratings agency.

S&P said it was affirming Wabash’s BB- issuer credit rating. It also has a B+ issue-level rating on the company’s senior unsecured notes, as well as a recovery rating of 5. Those were both affirmed by S&P.

A negative outlook at S&P Global means conditions are in place that may lead...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/with-trailer-orders-down-wabash-national-gets-negative-outlook-at-sp

DHL getting 2 Nikola hydrogen trucks, and they aren’t in California

Truck companies and shippers regularly announce the addition of new zero emission vehicles to their fleets, most of them battery-powered. And there are announcements of hydrogen-powered trucks as well, though that has almost exclusively been in California, which has a combination of coming mandates and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which allows the owners of those hydrogen vehicles to earn LCFS credits that can be sold into an active market for those assets.

With all that in mind, it was notable...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dhl-getting-2-nikola-hydrogen-trucks-and-they-arent-in-california

Freightliner adds nifty changes to fifth-generation Cascadia

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The fifth-generation Freightliner Cascadia from Daimler Truck North America features some nifty changes to the market-leading Class 8 over-the-road truck.

But a major makeover, it isn’t. 

Coming to market about five years after the current-generation truck – called the New Cascadia when introduced in 2019 – the fifth-gen tractor is scheduled for production in mid-2025. It claims a modest 1.9% improvement in fuel efficiency over the current model, part of a lineage that covers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightliner-adds-nifty-changes-to-fifth-generation-cascadia

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