Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 3, 2025:
Volvo partners with EV charging network developer Greenlane
Volvo Trucks' partnership with Greenlane will integrate Greenlane’s charging network into the Volvo Open Charge service.Greenlane
To bolster heavy-duty electric vehicle (HDEV) charging access and convenience for fleets and drivers, Volvo Trucks North America has partnered with commercial electric vehicle charging network developer Greenlane Infrastructure to integrate Greenlane’s charging network into the Volvo Open Charge service.
Greenlane is Volvo’s first official Charge Point Operator (CPO) in the North American market. Through its integration with Volvo Open Charge, Greenlane will enable real-time access to its network, providing Volvo customers frictionless access to public charging, centralized billing and exclusive benefits.
The build-out of public charge points also reduces the need for fleets to invest in costly charging infrastructure, reducing capital expenditures and operational complexities, as well as enabling range extension.
"Our partnership with Volvo is a first-of-its-kind collaboration to deliver public charging solutions tailored to the needs of medium- and heavy-duty fleets," said Patrick Macdonald-King, CEO of Greenlane. "By streamlining the transition to electric fleets, we are providing a future-ready solution that keeps goods and services moving and drives meaningful progress toward zero-emissions freight transportation."
Greenlane will open its flagship charging location in Colton, California, in April, featuring more than 40 publicly accessible chargers for heavy-, medium- and light-duty zero-emissions vehicles. As part of its commitment to building a nationwide commercial EV charging network, Greenlane’s plans for the I-15 corridor include several charging sites approximately 60 to 90 miles apart, with the next sites planned for Long Beach, Barstow, and Baker, California.
Greenlane and Volvo will continue to work together to further integrate and make additional membership features available in Volvo Open Charge, such as booking reservations.
ATA calls on Congress to revoke California’s emissions waivers
The American Trucking Associations on Tuesday sent a letter to Republican leaders in the House and Senate, calling on them to take the regulatory keys away from California and prevent the Golden State from setting de facto national emissions policies in the future.
Specifically, in his letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear urged Congress to:
Use the Congressional Review Act to immediately revoke the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) and Omnibus NOx waivers granted to California by the Biden Administration and adopted by 10 other states.
Amend the Clean Air Act to revoke the statute’s waiver authority, preserving federal purview over interstate commerce.
“As the primary mover of more than three quarters of the nation’s freight, the trucking industry requires uniform, national rules and standards to facilitate interstate commerce and deliver for American businesses and families safely and efficiently,” Spear wrote. “When the Biden Administration granted waivers to California under the Clean Air Act, establishing technically unachievable emission standards along unrealistic timelines, it created a cascade of consequences that are now reverberating across the country, setting the trucking industry up for failure, and threatening to upend the supply chain for consumers.”
With purchase cycles already underway, fleets face difficult decisions that will impact their operations and costs for years to come. Beginning with the 2024 model year, ACT mandates that manufacturers progressively increase zero-emission vehicle sales.
“As you look at various legislative vehicles to expedite a range of policy priorities this year, we ask that you consider any and all legislative means to address this issue, which affects every consumer and business across the country,” Spear continued.
Spear’s full letter can be read here.
Former Massachusetts trooper to plead guilty for alleged CDL testing scheme
A former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) trooper has agreed to plead guilty to his role in an alleged conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to certain commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants even if they failed the CDL test or took less than the full test required by federal law.
Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax, Massachusetts, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and aiding and abetting, and five counts of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled the plea hearing for April 7. In January 2024, Butner was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others in the alleged conspiracy and related schemes.
According to the charging document, between on or about May 2019 and January 2023, Butner and three other members of the CDL Unit with MSP conspired to give preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants by agreeing to give passing scores on their CDL tests regardless of whether or not they actually passed. Butner and the co-defendants allegedly used the code word “golden” to identify these applicants. The indictment alleges that Butner gave passing scores to applicants about whom he texted the following comments to a co-conspirator:
“This guys a mess. . . . Lol. He owes u a prime rib 6inch.”
“Golden mess. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣”
“He’s a mess Class A truck 2psi loss with truck running truck cut our again while timing 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
“Total mess this guy[.] i think some time[s] we should just do what we can but not golden. I’ll tell you about it later.”
In addition to the false records conspiracy, Butner has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of falsifying records, aiding and abetting, by giving passing scores to three applicants who failed the CDL test, and five counts of making false statements by giving passing scores to five applicants who did not take the test at all.
On March 21, a civilian co-defendant, Eric Mathison, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.
All CDL recipients identified as not qualified during the course of this investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The charge of conspiracy to falsify records carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of falsification of records each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false statements each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Legislation looks to require bathroom access for truckers
For the third consecutive legislative session, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require shippers and receivers across the U.S. to give truck drivers access to bathrooms at their facilities.
The Trucker Bathroom Access Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House by Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pennsylvania), who also both sponsored the legislation in the previous two Congresses.
While the bill would not require shippers and receivers to construct new bathroom facilities, it would require that truckers have the same access if a business has a bathroom available to their customers or employees.
The bipartisan legislation is supported by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the American Trucking Associations, the Women in Trucking Association, She Trucking, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).
“Truck drivers are the heartbeat of our economy and critical to supply chain continuity,” said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. “When they stop to make pickups or deliveries – which can take hours on end while the truck waits to be loaded or unloaded – drivers should have access to restroom facilities. Such basic accommodations are more than just common courtesy. This is about ensuring the dignity of drivers and supporting the men and women who do the heavy lifting to provide for everyone in this country. It can also help reduce a major barrier to retaining and recruiting more truck drivers, particularly women.”
The bill would require bathroom access for truck drivers picking up or delivering to a facility, as long as the bathroom is located in an area that “would not create an obvious health or safety risk” to the driver, and in an area that providing access “would not pose an obvious security risk” to the business.
It would also require port terminal operators to provide access to existing restrooms for drayage truck drivers while on port property, as well as additional restrooms if necessary, and places for drayage truck operators to park while accessing the restrooms.
