EPA to host public hearings on newest proposed emissions standards

Trucking news and briefs for Friday, April 14, 2023:

EPA hosting public hearing on new GHG regs

The Environmental Protection Agency announced in a Federal Register notice to be published Monday, April 17, that it will host a public hearing on its latest proposed emissions regulations for heavy-duty trucks.

A two-day virtual public hearing to be held May 2-3 on EPA’s proposal is titled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3.” An additional session may be held on May 4 if necessary to accommodate more speakers, the agency noted.

In its proposal, EPA is proposing new GHG standards for heavy-duty highway vehicles starting in model year 2028 through MY 2032. It's likewise hoping to revise certain GHG standards for MY 2027 that were established previously under the Phase 2 rule. 

The Phase 3 standards would seek a technology-neutral approach that by 2032 could electrify 50% of vocational vehicles like buses and waste haulers; 35% of new short-haul regional tractors; and 25% of new long-haul trucks.

To register to speak at the virtual hearing or attend the hearing, including those who do not intend to provide testimony, EPA asks to be notified by April 26, preferably by email to EPA-HD-Hearings@epa.gov. Instructions and a link to join the hearing will be provided via email to all participants that register.

Each speaker will have a maximum of three minutes to provide oral testimony. EPA may ask clarifying questions during the oral presentations but will not respond directly to speakers during the presentations otherwise. 

[Related: Biden admin proposes stricter emissions regs for passenger, commercial vehicles]

California kicks off CARB checkpoints

The California Air Resources Board held "a compliance event in the Mountain Pass area near the Nevada/CA border" in late March, and "will continue to hold random compliance events throughout the state as well as use the Portable Emissions Acquisition Systems (PEAQS) to monitor heavy-duty vehicle emissions," according to a spokesperson for the organization. 

PEAQS devices capture emissions information from vehicles as they roll by.

As of January 1 of this year, California effectively banned 230,000 trucks from operating within the state as it  phased out every pre-2010 engine-equipped truck in the country. Carriers traveling less than 1,000 miles annually within the state or carriers operating only within NOx-exempt areas (mostly inland) can register in January for an exemption based on one of the two above criteria. 

"If the vehicle was reported for the Low Use Exemption," and they exceed the 1,000 miles cap in a year, "they would be ineligible to report for the NOx Exemption the following year," the CARB representative said. "If they are reported for the NOx Exemption, they would have to remain in the NOx Exempt areas and only travel outside for repairs or services to their vehicle. There is no mileage restriction associated with the NOx Exemption."

[Related: California banned 230,000 trucks. What's next?]

TriumphPay partnering with carrier ID management firm to target double brokers

Payment management service TriumphPay has announced a partnership with carrier identity management firm Highway to identify and mitigate double-brokering fraud schemes that are increasing in frequency, scale and sophistication.

Historically, the tools for fighting double-brokering have been limited in their ability to truly identify fraudulent activity and have relied on reports from brokers, publicly available information and basic scoring models. This partnership will combine the breadth of freight spend from TriumphPay and the depth of Highway’s carrier and equipment information to identify who is “hauling” more freight than their actual equipment would allow. 

The partnership will arm customers of TriumphPay and Highway with information to prevent bad actors from being loaded and paid, allowing them to focus on securing capacity with the most reliable carriers.

"Our partnership with Highway will significantly strengthen our efforts to combat double-brokering fraud in the freight industry, which we estimate affects $500M-700M worth of freight annually," said Melissa Forman, president of TriumphPay. "By combining our resources and expertise, we're providing our customers with an invaluable tool for detecting and mitigating fraud while improving the overall payment experience for carriers."

[Related: More freight fraud inbound? Rates pessimism sets the stage]

Highway's carrier identity management technology will complement TriumphPay's existing capabilities to prevent financial fraud, such as fraudulent bank accounts, account takeovers, and double-brokering, the companies said.

"Partnering with TriumphPay, the open payments network for freight brokers, factors, shippers and carriers in the U.S. trucking industry, brings us one step closer to our goal of stamping out fraud, identity issues and double-brokering in the transportation sector," said Jordan Graft, CEO at Highway. "Our collaboration will make transactions more secure, efficient and profitable for all parties involved, ultimately leading to a safer and more trustworthy industry ecosystem."

Aurora launches first autonomous truck terminal in Texas

Autonomous truck developer Aurora Innovation has launched its first commercial-ready terminal for autonomous trucks in South Dallas, the company said.

The terminal is designed with both high-tech features like sensor calibration ranges and high-speed data offload as well as traditional maintenance services, fueling and scales -- and will serve as a blueprint for Aurora’s future network of terminals.

Located in Palmer, Texas, the terminal deploys trucks pulling freight for Aurora’s pilot customers, including FedEx, Schneider, and Uber Freight, between Dallas and Houston. Aurora is currently hauling 50 customer loads a week across its two commercial routes with a safety driver on board and expects to increase its pilot hauls to 100 loads per week by the end of 2023, the company said.

As the company prepares for the commercial launch of Aurora Horizon, its autonomous trucking service, it will leverage a network of terminals to house, maintain, prepare, inspect and deploy autonomous trucks between destinations.

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