Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024:
CARB amends Advanced Clean Trucks rule
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently amended its Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule and its Zero-Emission Powertrain Certification test procedure to allow for more flexibility in getting new trucks on the road.
The ACT rule was written to force manufacturers to sell an increasing number of ZEVs into the marketplace beginning with model year (MY) 2024.
As reported earlier this year by CCJ sister publication Truck, Parts, Service (TPS), truck dealers in California have been struggling to meet the requirements of the ACT and other emissions-related regulations in the state. TPS reported how several dealers have been shut out of the Class 8 market this year, unable to sell internal combustion engines (ICE) due to lagging ZEV deliveries and a lack of available credits from their OEM partners.
As a result of ongoing challenges, CARB recently approved amendments to the ACT rule. The biggest change comes in the delivery of credits during the sale of a ZEV. Under the amended rule, OEMs will now receive a credit for a ZEV sale once a unit is delivered to a dealer or truck upfitter. This is a change from the original rule, which did not provide the credit until the unit arrived at the "ultimate purchaser."
The amendments also will now give secondary vehicle manufacturers the option to trade, sell or transfer credits with manufacturers.
"Being able to participate in the credit banking and trading system the ACT provides for will give secondary manufacturers greater ability to procure internal combustion engine vehicles where a manufacturer is restricting sales and choosing not to purchase credit," CARB wrote.
The changes also will now provide OEMs a three-year makeup window if they fall short of their ZEV sales requirements in a given year, and will enable near zero-emission vehicles (NZEV) to count as a fraction toward a year's deficit.
A full list of the amendments can be found on the CARB website.
[Related: NY trucking group pushes for delay of emissions mandate]
I-40 could reopen in NC/TN by New Year’s Day
Traffic may be flowing in both directions on I-40 through the Pigeon River Gorge -- albeit slower than normal -- by New Year’s Day, the North Carolina Department of Transportation announced this week.
NCDOT officials anticipate a contractor completing a stabilization project securing the westbound lanes of I-40 in the gorge. The Pigeon River washed away the interstate’s eastbound lanes in four long swaths during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The completion of the stabilization project will provide enough space for vehicles to travel at 40 mph on one lane in each direction over a 9-mile stretch of the gorge in Tennessee and North Carolina.
NCDOT said the configuration will also provide another contractor enough room to safely complete long-term repairs over the coming years.
“We are optimistic that our contract partners can complete the work, establish one narrow lane in each direction and create a safe work zone for the long-term restoration,” NCDOT’s Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said. “We are working to open I-40 when it is safe, and it will be tight conditions for everybody. But if everybody is patient, everybody can get through.”
Payne added that reopening a lane in each direction “reestablishes critical connectivity for the transport of good[s] and services to and through mountains. Like many things in our area, it will not be like it was for a long time, but it will be better than we’ve had in recent weeks.”
The temporary repair includes stabilizing several thousand feet of the interstate by installing soil-nail walls on swaths cut by the flooded Pigeon River. The operation includes inserting long rods into bedrock below the road, filling those with grout adhering the rods to the rock, and spraying concrete on the cut face to hold the rods in place and create a solid wall.
As that operation concludes, crews will install a concrete safety barrier on 5 miles of the remaining westbound lanes in North Carolina. The wall will separate eastbound and westbound traffic from the double-tunnel to the Tennessee state line. For 4 miles of I-40 in Tennessee, there is a two-lane pattern for local traffic only.
Long-term reconstruction plans are still in early development.
The announcement comes just days after I-26 reopened in Tennessee with one lane in each direction.
[Related: I-40 closure could last a year: NCDOT]
Averitt upgrades, expands San Antonio facility
Averitt (CCJ Top 250, No. 24) has announced the opening of its expanded San Antonio, Texas, service center, designed to accommodate the growing needs of customers in the region.
The state-of-the-art facility includes significant upgrades, including additional dock doors, a larger warehouse, and improved infrastructure to streamline operations and improve service offerings, the company said.
The service center now features a total of 78 cross-dock doors, up from the original 38. Additionally, a key highlight of the expansion is the newly constructed 85,000-square-foot Averitt Distribution and Fulfillment (ADF) warehouse, which is directly connected to the cross-dock doors. With the addition of the new warehouse, these upgrades will allow Averitt to further support freight distribution across the U.S.-Mexico border, providing faster and more efficient service for customers on both sides.
“These upgrades to our San Antonio facility are a major step forward in our ability to serve our customers,” said David Parrish, San Antonio Service Center Director. “This expansion and upgrade will provide the resources necessary to deliver the high-quality service that Averitt customers expect. The maintenance facility and Driver Support Center will also be great additions to support our drivers.”
Although most of the expansion is complete, a new maintenance facility is set to open in 2025. Once finished, it will feature two service bays, a pull-through fuel bay for two tractors at a time, and a drive-through truck wash equipped with undercarriage spray. In addition, there will be a Driver Support Center offering laundry facilities, a lounge, workout room, and showers, providing associates with a comfortable and supportive environment while on the road.
[Related: Averitt launches 'Guaranteed by Noon' LTL service]
