Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, July 7, 2026:
EPA's 2027 NOx rule could arrive soon
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could propose a new rule this week offering heavy-duty truck manufacturers more flexibility to meet looming 2027 emissions standards. The looming proposal follows the White House Office of Management and Budget completing its review of the EPA plan last week.
Administrator Lee Zeldin in March 2025 announced EPA was reevaluating the Biden-era 2022 Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle rule that regulates oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and other emissions beginning with Model Year 2027. The agency pledged "major changes" to the program requirements while maintaining the Model Year 2027 start of the standards.
To ease the transition, the EPA's forthcoming rule is expected to:
- Roll back warranty mandates: Rescind an extended warranty requirement, restoring the agency's previous, less restrictive warranty and useful-life rules. Biden-era regulations require OEMs extend warranties to 450,000 miles from 100,000 and useful life limits to 650,000 miles from 435,000 miles.
- Boost compliance credits: Expand the availability and flexibility of the credit system manufacturers use to meet regulatory averages.
- Allow temporary penalties: Permit manufacturers to pay non-conformance penalties as a short-term alternative if they cannot immediately meet the hardware standards.
- Extend testing timelines: Grant manufacturers more time to validate the reliability of new emissions-control systems under real-world operating conditions.
The proposal is expected to maintain the requirement that truck manufacturers slash nitrogen oxide, or NOx, emissions by an additional 80%. OEMs have already announced diesel engines for 2027 that meet this requirement.
Illinois hazmat blitz sidelines 61 trucks, 38 drivers
The Illinois State Police’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau recently conducted a hazmat enforcement detail that led to nearly 600 violations being issued over two days.
The department’s Southern Illinois Hazardous Materials Detail, held from June 30 and July 1 on I-55, I-70, and surrounding areas, allowed troopers “to aggressively enforce Illinois laws and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations relating to the safe transportation of hazardous materials,” ISP’s Troop 9 said in a Facebook post.
The detail resulted in 488 total Inspections (195 involving hazardous materials), with 584 federal regulation violations, 85 Illinois Vehicle Code violations, 38 driver out-of-services orders, and 61 vehicle OOS orders.
‘Illegal’ immigrant truck driver arrested in trooper fatality
Aerial view from a Pennsylvania DOT camera of the crash scene that resulted in the death of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr.U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday, July 6, lodged a detainer asking Pennsylvania officials to not release from jail a Haitian “illegal alien” who was arrested after allegedly causing a tractor-trailer crash that killed a Pennsylvania State Trooper.
Pennsylvania State Police reported that on July 1 at approximately 7 a.m., a trooper was struck along I-81 South conducting a commercial vehicle safety inspection at roadside.
While inspecting the vehicle, Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr. was struck by a passing tractor-trailer, allegedly driven by Michael Bon, a Haitian immigrant living in Brockton, Massachusetts, according to local reporting.
Michael BonDHS
“Both CMVs caught on fire after impact,” PSP added. “Trooper Pahira was seriously injured and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”
Pahira was a nearly 20-year veteran of PSP, the police agency said.
In a press release Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Bon had been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter. ICE lodged a detainer for him the day after his arrest.
Bon held a CDL from Massachusetts and, according to DHS, was released into the United States by the Biden Administration in July 2024. He then filed an application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in October 2024, and it was never granted, DHS added.DHS
“This Haitian illegal alien was RELEASED into our country by the Biden Administration, and the sanctuary state of Massachusetts gave him a Commercial Driver’s License,” said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Now, because of these reckless policies, a Pennsylvania State Trooper is dead after a crash that was 100% preventable. Illegal aliens should not be driving trucks on America’s highways. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and the Pennsylvania State Police as they mourn this loss.”
Colorado highway lane closures planned as crews replace WIM scales
An ongoing Colorado Department of Transportation project replacing aging Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) equipment is wrapping up in Fort Morgan and is set to start at the Limon Weigh Station next week.
On Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, drivers can expect a half-mile, single lane closure on westbound I-76 at mile 75 -- five miles south of Fort Morgan, 24 hours a day. One lane will remain open to traffic.
Beginning on Wednesday, July 8, work will begin at the Limon Weigh Station. One lane will be closed for approximately a half-mile on westbound I-70 at mile 361, 24 hours a day, through Friday, July 17. One lane will remain open to traffic.
Drivers should be prepared for reduced speeds and minor delays at each location, CDOT said.
The 24-hour lane closures are required to allow the new concrete to dry properly. All work is weather-dependent. The project involves the removal and replacement of the existing concrete, WIM scales, sensors and other system equipment.
WIM technology allows trucks to be weighed at highway speeds without requiring them to stop at a weigh station scale. Doing so significantly increases the number of trucks that can be weighed, CDOT added, improving traffic flow and road safety around each station. A WIM system also helps reduce emissions by eliminating idling and it protects the state’s bridges and road surfaces by quickly identifying overweight vehicles.
Upon completion at Limon, the project shifts, sequentially, to the following weigh stations:
- I-25 -- Monument
- I-25 -- Trinidad
- I-70 -- Loma
- I-70 -- Dumont
- U.S. 50 -- Lamar
Work is expected to take approximately one to four weeks, depending on the specific project requirements at each weigh station. The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2026.
