Trucking news and briefs for Friday, July 11, 2025:
New electric truck charging station opens at Port Newark
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has opened a new electric truck charging station at Port Newark.
Designed to encourage more drivers to switch to electric trucks, the charging station supports cleaner, more sustainable freight movement while advancing the Port Authority’s ambitious environmental goals, the agency said.
The four direct current fast chargers are located at Port Newark’s truck welcome center at Marlin and Kellogg streets. Drivers are able to give their trucks an opportunity to charge at the station, topping off their vehicles before returning to their primary charging location. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
They complement a multitude of other sustainability initiatives at the seaport as the Port Authority looks to enable and entice all links in the supply chain, including ocean carriers, container terminals, and trucking companies to incorporate greener operations.
“What gets taken off these ships and loaded onto these trucks is ultimately what ends up in our closets, in our refrigerators, and in our garages,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “It’s our duty to make sure every element of the critical work at the Port of New York and New Jersey is operating as efficiently and sustainably as possible. These chargers are an important piece of that puzzle as we usher in a more sustainable future for the thousands of trucks serving the East Coast’s busiest port every day.”
The charging station features four 350-kilowatt direct current (DC) fast chargers and offers compatibility with most widely available commercial electric truck models. Drayage truck operations typically involve trucks moving shipping containers short distances, such as from a container terminal to an area warehouse. A 10–15-minute opportunity charge could offer an additional 20-40 miles of range, the Port Authority said, depending on the load and driving conditions, allowing truckers to minimize downtime and complete more trips during the workday.
The chargers will be available for use from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily initially due to the ongoing Port Street Corridor Improvement Project, which is routing additional traffic through the area during the current phase of that project. The station will be closed during peak hours to ensure smooth traffic flow entering and exiting the port complex. Hours will be expanded to around-the-clock availability in late 2025.
Charging cost is $0.45/kilowatt per hour plus tax. A $1 per minute idling fee may be enacted based on site utilization.
[Related: Yard tractors take lead in battery electric market share]
Truck driver pleads guilty for operation of ‘ghost’ tax prep business
A truck driver who operated a “ghost” tax preparation business on the side in Union City, Georgia, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to executing a mail fraud scheme to defraud the United States by making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 related employment tax credits.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, Dantavious Jackson, 39, of Union City, Georgia, faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
As described in the plea agreement, Jackson owned and operated a trucking business in Union City, Georgia. On the side, Jackson also prepared tax forms for others for a fee.
Any individual who prepared and assisted in preparing federal tax returns for a fee was required to obtain a preparer identification number (PTIN) from the Internal Revenue Service. A paid preparer was required to place his or her PTIN on each tax return he or she prepared for a fee to identify the preparer of that return.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act, enacted on March 27, 2020, provided for an employee retention credit (ERC), a refundable tax credit, which was designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERC was claimed by an employer by filing an Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns (IRS Forms 941) with the IRS for the relevant quarter.
Between June 2022 and August 2023, Jackson executed a scheme to defraud the United States by preparing and filing 35 IRS Forms 941 for himself and two clients that falsely claimed they were entitled to receive $4,112,297 in tax refunds based on fraudulently claimed ERCs. The Forms 941 Jackson prepared and filed with IRS were false and fraudulent because they listed employees and wages that did not actually exist.
Jackson’s use of fake employees and wages to claim ERCs induced the U.S. Treasury to mail $1,567,855 in fraudulent tax refunds to himself and his clients.
Jackson prepared and filed the tax returns as a “ghost preparer,” meaning that he did not identify himself through a PTIN or by any other self-identifying information in the “Paid Preparer Use Only” section on the returns he filed for clients.
“Jackson’s guilty plea serves as a reminder to those who committed fraud on programs under the CARES Act that they will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are still opening cases and investigating those who stole funds that were intended for American workers, families, and small businesses.”
Reefer trailer leasing, rental business expands footprint in Northeast
PLM Fleet LLC, a company dedicated exclusively to the leasing, rental, maintenance, and fleet management of refrigerated trailers, has expanded its footprint in the Northeast with new branches in Rochester, New York and Philadelphia.
PLM Fleet’s selection of refrigerated equipment ranges in lengths from 28 to 53 feet, with single-temperature, multiple-temperature, or electric-only, including versatile liftgate options.PLM Fleet
Every rental includes PLM’s On-Site Mobile maintenance and 24/7 emergency break-down service. PLM offers pick-up and drop-off service, and a dedicated team of in-house fleet managers.
With its PLMServiceCode, customers can request and monitor all service requests, track repairs to completion, and view their trailer licensing and registration.
“PLM is proud to open these new branches in Philadelphia and Western New York, which marks a significant milestone in our commitment to be the leader in refrigerated fleet management,” said Jerry Keane, VP and General Manager, Rental. “This expansion strengthens our ability to provide customers with more cost-effective and timely access to trailers, while offering a broad range of specifications tailored to meet the distinct operational needs of their businesses.”
The new PLM branches are located at:
- 8330 State Road, Philadelphia, PA 19136
- 1280 Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY 14623
PLM Fleet has a network of 35 branches in key markets nationwide. At all of PLM’s branches, customers can rent equipment for a year, month or even one day.
