Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, March 12, 2025:
Pennsylvania fleet, WSTA, other orgs sue EPA over CARB waiver
H.R. Ewell, a nearly 300-truck fleet based in East Earl, Pennsylvania, is among a handful of entities that have filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit related to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to grant a waiver allowing California’s “Omnibus” Low-NOx Regulation for heavy-duty trucks to go into effect.
Represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, other petitioners with H.R. Ewell include the Western States Trucking Association, California Fuels and Convenience Alliance, California Asphalt Pavement Association, New York Construction Materials Association, and the Associated General Contractors of New York State.
The California Air Resources Board’s Omnibus Low-NOx reg slashes NOx and particulate matter (PM) emissions standards and included new requirements for test procedures, regulatory useful life, and emissions warranties. The rule built upon the EPA's own heavy-duty NOx regulation finalized in 2022 for model year 2027 and beyond. CARB's rule, when approved in 2020, was set to take effect with model year 2024. EPA announced its approval of the waiver in December and officially published the waiver on Jan. 6.
The Pacific Legal Foundation called the Omnibus regs “new draconian standards” that “will usher in dramatic cost hikes for new trucks and replacement engines.”
“Any price increase would devastate the narrow profit margins of companies like H.R. Ewell, which replaces 20 to 40 trucks per year just to maintain its fleet,” the organization added. “And with no substantive limits on California’s power, Calvin Ewell worries that California regulators won’t stop until they altogether outlaw internal combustion engines.”
The petitioners argue that California should not have the power to set emissions standards that are enforceable in other states. “Handing state governments, or anyone else, such power violates the constitutional principle known as the nondelegation doctrine,” PLF said.
The petition seeks to declare EPA’s waiver as unlawful; to “vacate, enjoin and set aside” the waiver; and provide other relief as the court sees appropriate.
[Related: New bill in Senate would repeal, replace emissions regs, revoke Calif. waivers]
Railroad-support companies get hours relief renewed
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is provisionally renewing an hours-of-service exemption granted to group of companies operating within the railroad industry.
R.J. Corman Railroad Services, Cranemasters and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association first requested an exemption in 2019 that would allow their employees who operate under hours-of-service rules to respond to “unplanned events” that occur outside of or extend beyond the employee’s normal working hours.
FMCSA granted the exemption in 2020, allowing covered drivers to operate beyond the 14th hour after coming on duty and driving after accumulating 60 hours of on-duty time in seven days or 70 hours in eight days.
The exemption applies to employees who drive commercial motor vehicles to transport equipment used to clear derailed or disabled trains or debris blocking tracks or railroad rights-of-way when responding to unplanned events that affect interstate commerce, service, or the safety of railway operations, including passenger rail operations.
The exemption applies to time spent driving to the site of an “unplanned event,” which can include: a derailment; a rail failure or other report of dangerous track condition; a track occupancy light; a disruption to the electric propulsion system; a bridge strike; a disabled vehicle on the track; a train collision; weather- and storm-related events; and a matter concerning national security or public safety, including a blocked grade crossing.
The original exemption expired March 4. FMCSA’s provisional renewal extends the exemption for six months through Sept. 4. FMCSA is accepting public comments on the renewal of the waiver for 30 days beginning Monday, March 10. Comments can be filed here through April 9.
The exemption renewal is applicable to employees of R.J. Corman and Cranemasters operating CMVs in response to unplanned events that occur outside of or extend beyond the subject employees’ normal work hours.
Women in Trucking names Driver of the Year finalists
Women in Trucking's 2025 Driver of the Year finalists are Ericka Norfleet, R.E. Garrison Trucking; Gina Jones, Werner; Kathy Blaies, United Road; and Sandy Winters, Leonard’s Express.Women in Trucking
The Women in Trucking Association (WIT) has announced four finalists for its 2025 Driver of the Year award, sponsored by Walmart. The annual award recognizes outstanding female truck drivers who lead the industry in safety standards while actively enhancing the public image of the trucking industry.
The 2025 Driver of the Year finalists are:
- Ericka Norfleet, owner-operator, R.E. Garrison Trucking (CCJ Top 250, No. 110)
- Gina Jones, company driver, Werner (No. 14)
- Kathy Blaies, professional car hauler, United Road (No. 63)
- Sandy Winters, company driver, Leonard’s Express (No. 109)
Norfleet is a dedicated owner-operator with R.E. Garrison Trucking, bringing a wealth of experience and professionalism to the road. Since earning her CDL in 2015, she has safely logged more than one million miles, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to safety, excellence, and teamwork. Norfleet and her husband have spent nearly nine years on the road as a driving team while raising their seven children.
Jones is a driver for Werner who exemplifies safety, leadership and dedication in the trucking industry. After a successful career in retail management, she earned her CDL at age 50 to join her husband, Steve, on the road. With 2.5 million accident-free miles, Jones received the 2024 TA Citizen Driver Award, the Werner Safe Driver Award, and the President’s Safe Driver Club Award from the Nebraska Trucking Association. As a 2022-2023 ATA America’s Road Team Captain and Werner Road Team alum, she advocates for safety and mentors current and future drivers through school programs and recruitment events. Jones and her husband are proudly part of Werner’s Operation Freedom Fleet, driving a specialty-wrapped truck honoring military servicemembers.
Blaies, a professional car hauler at United Road with more than 20 years of experience, has built an impeccable, damage-free career that sets the standard for excellence. A skilled and dedicated professional, she has driven more than one million miles without a single damage, earning her the Gold Elite Driver Award four times and the Damage Free Elite Award twice -- an achievement few can match. Known among her peers as “Carhaul Kathy,” she is respected not only for her precision and safety on the road but also for her commitment to teamwork, mentorship and leadership.
Winters, a company driver for Leonard’s Express, has built a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years. After serving four years in the U.S. Army, she transitioned into trucking in 1993 after a friend recognized her natural talent for handling large vehicles. Since then, she has driven a variety of equipment – including ink tankers, flatbeds, step decks, dry van doubles, and reefers – covering routes across the United States and Canada. A highly awarded safe driver, Winters is known for her strong work ethic and willingness to mentor the next generation. She believes experienced drivers play a key role in shaping the future of the trucking industry, and she takes pride in guiding newcomers toward success.
The winner of the 2025 Driver of the Year award will be announced at the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event, hosted by WIT on Friday, March 28, at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky.
