The California Air Resources Board has reminded heavy diesel truck owners that new emission rules take effect Jan. 1 and they may need to report their compliance online. Continue Reading

Several trends, not the least of which are ever-growing equipment costs to keep pace with emissions mandates and safety systems, may contribute sooner rather than later to the development of “low-cost” trucks. Supporters are quick to note that this does not mean cheap, but rather a means for carriers to reap a return on their investments. Already, some carriers are opting for smaller engines and manual transmissions to Continue Reading

UPS recently announced that it has purchased 100 all-electric delivery vehicles to deploy in short-range delivery routes in California as part of the carrier’s ongoing effort to reduce emissions. The 100 vehicles will replace older diesel trucks in the company’s fleet. UPS has already tested this type of vehicle and is anxious to put them to use in “real world” applications. Already, the company is operating all-electric vehicles in New York and Europe. They are able to travel within a 90-mile range and have displaced more than 126,000 gallons of fuel a year that Continue Reading

The seven terminal operators at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have settled the lawsuit alleging their violation of diesel emissions standards. As part of the terms of the settlement, the terminals will spend $1 million each to clean up their operations, while also Continue Reading

Implementing the new federal fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks and pickups stands to save fleets, consumers and the nation as a whole billions of dollars in reduced fuel consumption and reduced emissions, which in turn yield a cleaner environment and improved public health, according to an analysis conducted by the National Wildlife Federation. What’s more, the organization says it has determined that the fuel savings will more than cover the upcharge for the pricier technologies required to meet the new standards. The $6,000 to $8,000 more for Continue Reading

Truckers serving the Port of Oakland petitioned the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to delay emissions upgrades for drayage trucks, but the state agency declined. Undeterred, the West State Alliance, which is leading the charge on behalf of the truckers, is intent on ensuring their voices are heard. The next phase regulations calls for 2004 model engines to be retrofit with particulate filters by 2012, followed by 2005-2006 models to be Continue Reading

Most stakeholder groups in the trucking industry are cheering the new federal fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks announced Tuesday. With the exception of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. (OOIDA), the new targets for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions were met with praise. One of the advantages of the plan is to reduce dependence on foreign oil. In order to develop technologies to achieve these ambitious standards, a number of OEMs will be put to work, though several said the new federal fuel efficiency goals align well with Continue Reading

Air quality continues to improve at the Port of Long Beach, according to a recent assessment of its clean-air efforts. The study found that pollution has dropped 72 percent, in large part due to the phasing out of the oldest trucks serving the port. From 2005 to 2010, key air pollutants, including greenhouse gases, diesel particulates, sulfur oxides and smog-forming nitrogen oxides dropped by double-digit percentage points. Though port Continue Reading

Though the package volume handled by UPS last year rose, the company’s latest annual Sustainability Report shows a reduction in the amount of fuel used to deliver each package. From 2009 to 2010, package volume grew 1.8 percent, while fuel consumption per package dropped 3.3 percent. Several factors were cited in this improvement, such as routing technologies, load optimization, monitoring and managing driver behaviors–particularly with Continue Reading

On the heels of an announcement calling for improved fuel economy goals for cars and light-duty trucks, President Obama is set to make a similar announcement regarding heavy-duty vehicles on Tuesday, Aug. 9. Just last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed a 20 percent reduction of emissions and improved fuel economy for heavy-duty trucks beginning with the Continue Reading