Transport Topics

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollutants from heavy-duty trucks in a series of major rulemakings over the next three years. The EPA said that by December 2022, it will propose and finalize new stringent emissions standards to reduce nitrogen oxide pollution from trucks starting in model year 2027. The agency’s plan, known as the “Clean Trucks Plan,” will result in decreased emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles, including longhaul tractors, buses, commercial delivery trucks and many other types of trucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, the main sponsor of a program to pave the way for commercial driver license holders under 21 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce, expressed optimism about his proposal’s chances of passing in the U.S. Senate. Young said he anticipates colleagues in the chamber will advance the DRIVE Safe Act as part of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. Young said he believes the measure will survive the legislative process because it’s popular with both Republicans and Democrats, who understand the impacts of trucking’s driver shortage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The American Transportation Research Institute is developing an assessment tool to identify the safest drivers among 18- to 20-year-olds, an important age group that the trucking industry is targeting for expanded eligibility of commercial driver licenses for interstate travel. ATRI’s Young Driver Assessment Tool — which is in phase one of beta testing — has demonstrated that there is the potential to identify individuals who are likely to be safer drivers through development of safety profiles that incorporate personality traits, physiological characteristics and other aspects of mental health. Currently, federal law prohibits commercial drivers under 21 from interstate travel. ATRI plans to expand the pilot through a wider sample of younger drivers and the range of driver safety performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nikola Corp. posted a widening second-quarter financial loss as the zero-emission vehicle startup said it is moving forward with its battery-electric and fuel cell-electric trucks. In a regulatory filing Aug. 3, the company reported a net loss of $143.2 million. No revenue was reported, as Nikola has yet to begin retail sales of its vehicles. Chief Financial Officer Kim Brady said the Phoenix-based company would deliver just 25 to 50 vehicles this year, down from a previous estimate of 50 to 100 vehicles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

XPO Logistics Inc. on Aug. 2 completed its previously announced spinoff of GXO Logistics Inc., creating two independent, publicly traded companies. Going forward, XPO will offer primarily less-than-truckload transportation and truck brokerage services, while GXO will provide contract logistics services. XPO CEO Brad Jacobs and company executives were on hand to ring the NYSE opening bell on GXO’s first day of trading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan cleared another big hurdle on Friday when the Senate voted 66-28 to begin debate on the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the chamber should be able to process the legislation quickly given the bipartisan support, and that the bill could be finished within a couple of days. But Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas predicted, “It’s going to be a grind.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trevor Milton, the founder and one-time executive chair of Nikola Corp., surrendered yesterday in New York to face charges alleging he lied to investors about the capabilities of his electric and hydrogen-powered truck startup. Milton stepped down from Nikola in September when allegations of fraud surfaced. At the time, Milton said he would defend himself against such accusations. In the indictment, prosecutors charged Milton with two counts of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $100 million bail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden pledged to increase investments in American companies and workforce training during a visit to a Mack Trucks plant in Pennsylvania Wednesday. After touring the facility, the president stood between a set of Mack trucks on a makeshift stage next to the factory floor. He praised the company’s management and union personnel as he promoted proposals aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing, climate change initiatives and federal “Buy American” guidelines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UPS reported a strong second quarter as busy e-commerce trends continue. Overall, the Atlanta-based carrier earned $2.68 billion, compared to $1.77 billion in the same quarter last year. And while the company’s numbers for domestic revenue were a little bit below Wall Street analysts’ expectations, revenue for international operations rose more than predicted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sens. Ben Cardin and Todd Young introduced a bill to repeal the federal excise tax on new trucks. The 12% tax has been around for more than a century. Industry analysts say it can add about $21,000 to the cost of a new truck or trailer, and critics say the tax discourages buyers from purchasing newer, cleaner vehicles. Stakeholders such as American Trucking Associations and American Truck Dealers have voiced support for repealing the tax. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Truck parking is now prohibited in the city of Minneapolis following a vote by the city council Friday. The restrictions on truck parking state all vehicles that weigh more than 26,000 pounds are prohibited from parking on any city street unless they are actively loading or unloading, they are stopped by a police officer, or they are in a zone with signage allowing parking of vehicles with increased weights. The trucking industry had voiced opposition to the parking restrictions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uber Freight announced it will acquire managed transportation provider Transplace from TPG Capital for $2.25 billion. The deal consists of up to $750 million in common stock of Uber Freight’s parent company, Uber Technologies Inc., and the rest in cash. Once the deal is finalized, Uber Freight’s brokerage will continue to operate independently from Frisco, Texas-based Transplace’s managed transportation services, according to the San Francisco-based digital freight broker. The transaction is expected to close later this year or in the first half of 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Senate Republicans rejected an effort Wednesday to begin debate on a big infrastructure deal that a bipartisan group of senators brokered with President Joe Biden. But supporters in both parties remained hopeful of another chance possibly as soon as Monday. The party-line vote was 51-49 against proceeding, as Republicans said the bipartisan group needed more time to wrap up the deal and review the details. Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer switched his vote to “no” at the end, a procedural step that would allow him to move to reconsider. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Truck tonnage in June inched up 0.5% compared with year-ago levels, a slowdown compared with recent months amid a tempering of freight activity nationwide, according to American Trucking Associations’ For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index. The index equaled 111.6 in June, ATA announced in a July 20 news release. When measured against May, the index decreased 1.5%. For purposes of the index, the year 2015=100. “Tonnage has definitely flattened out, on average, over the last six to nine months,” ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said. “The good news is that it remains slightly above 2020 levels.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Senate Republicans in bipartisan talks on a $579 billion infrastructure deal are warning Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that if he goes through with a July 21 vote to start debate on the plan he won’t have their support and his attempt to enforce a deadline will fail. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said there is “no way” the group of 22 Republicans and Democrats can finish pulling together a bill by July 21 with many issues still outstanding, including how to pay for it. Collins and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are among Republicans urging Schumer to delay the procedural vote on a measure championed by President Joe Biden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new Department of Transportation Inspector General audit criticized states for too often failing to transmit driver electronic conviction notifications in a timely manner to federal regulators. The audit said that states did not transmit electronic conviction notifications in a timely manner 17% of the time. Federal regulations require that states disqualify the CDLs of drivers convicted of major offenses and serious traffic violations and other offenses as expeditiously as possible. States are also required to notify other states about convictions within 10 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uber Freight has expanded beyond truckload services and is now also offering shippers options for less-than-truckload, the company announced July 15. Uber Freight has been primarily focused on truckload shipments since its founding in 2017. The company views LTL as the natural next step, considering it to be in high demand and ripe for innovation. Michael Bailey, product manager at Uber Freight, says the company’s vision for the shipper platform is to become a one-stop shop for all freight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Classes 4-7 U.S. retail sales rose in June to the second-highest level of the year as they cleared 20,000 units, with all segments improving over the same period last year, WardsAuto.com reported. Sales hit 20,944, the second-highest 2021 total to date. A year earlier they were 17,515. March’s medium-duty sales sit at the top this year at 23,575. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. retail sales of Class 8 vehicles in June topped 19,000, WardsAuto.com reported, and reached the second-highest volume this year. June improved 49.4% to 19,840 compared with a year earlier when sales were 13,276, according to Wards. Only March has been higher this year, when sales exceeded more than 22,000. Once again, sales cleared the generally accepted U.S. replacement level of 16,000 — as has happened in all but one month of this year. Sales through the first six months rose 35% to 111,552, compared with 82,648 a year earlier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A strike continues at the Volvo Trucks North America plant in Dublin, Va., even though the truck maker has announced it will not engage in further negotiations. VTNA says it will stand by the terms of its third tentative agreement that was reached with leaders of the United Autoworkers but was rejected by its membership. A union spokesman urged members not to cross the picket line. A second vote on the third agreement has been scheduled for Wednesday. The plant employs more than 3,300 people, about 2,900 of whom are UAW members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices