Trucking News

Even with all kinds of economic worries and problems going on in the US and spreading to the rest of the world, the clean truck program hasn’t changed its schedule.This program is designed to phase out trucks that are bad on pollution and try to bring in trucks that are ‘greener.’ The first phase of that will stop trucks that are high-polluting from getting port-issued concession agreements with the ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Starting on October first, there won’t be any trucks older than 1989 allowed at all. The plans for the ports are a bit different from one another, but they are similar enough that a lot of companies that have older trucks are upset about them. They can’t afford to buy newer trucks, and they’ll be hurt further by their lack of concession agreements with these ports.

It’s another hit in an already weakened economy, but the ports believe that their clean truck programs are important enough to go ahead with.

Massachusetts Govenor Deval Patrick has signed the Clean Energy Biofuels Act which is a law that will promote the use of biofuels.

The law requires biofuel content in all diesel and home heating fuel sold in the state which is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% in the state. This new law also provides tax benefits to non-corn-based ethanol alternatives and proposes a new regional fuel standard for cars and trucks.

Biofuels are substitutes for liquid petroleum fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and heating oil. They are produced from renewable organic matter such as corn, soy, switchgrass, agricultural waste, wood, and waste vegetable oil. Advanced biofuels are made from non-food-based feed stocks and according to federal law they must create a lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50 percent compared with fossil fuels. By exempting non-food-crop biofuels from gasoline tax, mandating biofuels in diesel and home heating oil, and developing a Low Carbon Fuel Standard for the region, the Clean Energy Biofuels Act is meant to boost the clean tech industry.

The new “electrified” truck stops are getting noticed more and more as the price of fuel continues to soar.

In addition to being able to hook up to these new additions at truck stops and receive air conditioning, cable and internet through nifty yellow tubes, the benefits of these tubes go much further.

Most importantly, having access to these things makes it possible for the trucks to turn off their engines. The concept actually came about for just that reason. They were developed to help truckers follow the new anti-idling guidelines to reduce pollution.

Now it is the truckers that are thanking them and appreciating these guidelines for the added benefits they have brought to them.

Truckers are able to turn off their engines rather than letting them sit and run idle like they used to do which means a lot less fuel being used and less wear and tear on their engines. With the price of fuel and mechanics, that is a big deal.

More consumers have turned to biodiesel to power their vehicles and save money at the pump. Biodiesel is a very unique alternative fuel as it can be manufactured from vegetable oil or even the recycled grease from a restaurant.Contrary to popular belief, biodiesel is compatible with most diesel engines. The only vehicles that need to be converted to support this fuel are those manufactured before 1985 and still utilize rubber lines. With older cars, a conversion could be as easy as replacing rubber lines with a durable plastic that protects against the corrosion caused by biodiesel. More recent vehicles are built with engines that support ultra-low sulfur diesel and are not recommended for biodiesel.