SD Trucking News May 2024

This photo was taken at the start of the 22nd Annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Event on Friday, May 10th in Chamberlain, South Dakota.

Photo Courtesy of Michelle Wells

SDTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Bob Willey

Chairman

Justin Anders

Vice Chairman

Tom Murphy

Treasurer

Ryan Viessman

Secretary

Jerry Ollerich

Past Chairman

Vacant

ATA Vice President

Christine Vinatieri-Erickson

President

SDTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeff Bennett

Phillip Christian

Nick Cleveringa

Dave Dailey

Shanna Gray

Pete Halverson

Eric Hamiel

Steve Hoffman

Larry Klaahsen

Tim Kotalik

Justin Larson

Chris Lutick

Jim Maciejewski

Tim Miller

Matt Parker

Dan Schipper

Brett Snoozy

SDTA SERVICES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ryan Viessman

Chairman

Brad Schipper

Membership Retention Director

Todd Johnson

Public Relations Director

Rick Underwood

Membership Services Director

Cindy Heiberger

Group Insurance Director

MESSAGE FROM THE Chairman

Good day, ladies and gentlemen. I hope everyone is having a safe spring. It is planting season, so we will see oversize and slow-moving farm equipment on the roadways. Please give them some space for their safety and yours.

We had our board meeting on Thursday, May 9th in Chamberlain with great attendance. We could still use more quality people who would like to serve on the board. It’s like I said in my podcast: everybody has an opinion; we don’t know if it’s a good one until you express it. Maybe it will take another ruling or law, like the 4% sales tax on transportation, to get people involved. It might be the proposed rule that IFTA is trying to push that every IFTA sticker will have to be vin-specific. Christine will be able to explain it better than I can.

The membership and non-members cannot just expect somebody else to carry the torch because if everyone thinks like that, the next thing you know, there is no one there with a voice, and the industry will end up with all these bad laws that will take 30 years to repeal. So please get involved for your own self-preservation.

The board elected Jim Maciejewski to the executive committee. He is with Warren Transport, Inc., Black Hawk, SD, so please welcome him when you see him at the convention. Also, if you have any nominations for the board, bring them forward at the business meeting at the convention in September.

Safe travels,

Bob Willey

Bob Willey Trucking

bwilleytrucking@gmail.com

JUSTIN LARSON (605) 224-1611

PIERRE, SD

KURT SWANSON (605) 224-1611

PIERRE, SD

TACHA ARTZ (605) 737-7865

RAPID CITY, SD

JORDAN GAU (605) 996-4698

MITCHELL, SD

GREG BALDWIN (605) 336-2795

SIOUX FALLS, SD

WE KNOW TRANSPORTATION

NICK BACKLUND (605) 996-4698

MITCHELL, SD

RUSS STOUGH (605) 336-4444

SIOUX FALLS, SD

Fischer, Rounds & Associates truck insurance consultants are experts in the coverage of all size trucks and farm equipment, so we know the risks and liabilities to make sure you are fully covered. We have four locations in South Dakota to serve you and your truck insurance needs—Pierre, Mitchell, Rapid City and Sioux Falls.

MESSAGE FROM THE President

SDTA STAFF

Christine Vinatieri-Erickson President christine@southdakotatrucking.com

Michelle Wells Member Manager michelle@southdakotatrucking.com

Patty Hinz

Office Manager/Graphic Designer patty@southdakotatrucking.com

Trevor Johnson Communications & Marketing Manager trevor@southdakotatrucking.com

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: 3801 S. Kiwanis Avenue Sioux Falls, SD 57105

Office: (605) 334-8871

Email: info@southdakotatrucking.com Website: southdakotatrucking.com

Christine’s Corner

What a busy time of year it is! As the school year draws to a close, there are new routines on the horizon for this mom. Our Spring Board meetings in early May had fantastic attendance, and I continue to be inspired and grateful for the dedication of leaders in the trucking industry. Your passion truly makes my job better. We dove into extensive discussions on topics ranging from speed limiters to EV mandates and the potential regulations concerning independent contractors, and owner-operators. The issue of government overreach remains a significant concern within the trucking sector.

Amidst the board meetings, we also enjoyed the annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Calcutta, which supports workforce development in the trucking industry. A huge thank you to all participants, donors, bidders, and especially K & J Trucking for hosting the meal and organizing much of the event. Last year, we were able to contribute $3,000 in scholarship funds to Southeast Technical College for diesel mechanic students. While we are still finalizing the numbers, this year’s Calcutta was a huge success, largely due to the outstanding auctioneering skills of Taylor Martin. Their ability to engage and energize everyone made the event competitive and enjoyable.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the upcoming golf tournament on July 18th in Brandon, SD, and the SDTA annual convention in Deadwood on September 25–27. Stay tuned for more details on both events.

June 4th is primary election day in South Dakota. I urge everyone to exercise their right to vote. As recent events have shown, elections have significant consequences!

Stay curious,

Christine M. Vinatieri-Erickson

RobertGrape

Robert Grape, Johnson Feed, Inc., Canton, SD, was selected as the May 2024 Driver of the Month by the South Dakota Safety Management Council.

His unwavering dedication to both the industry and his company exemplifies the epitome of an outstanding driver.

Bob’s track record speaks for itself: consistently delivering on time with no late loads, earning high praise from customers, and seamlessly coordinating dispatch and safety teams without a hitch.

With an impressive 35 years and 3.5 million accident-free miles under his belt, Bob embodies safety on the road like no other. His commitment to excellence extends beyond his impeccable driving record. Bob’s passion for trucking shines through in every aspect of his work, from his meticulously maintained rig to his enthusiastic participation in events like Wheel Jam Truck Show.

Bob’s pride in his profession is palpable and infectious. Engage him in conversation, and you’ll quickly discover his genuine love for trucking.

Bob and his wife, Dani reside in Watertown, SD. They have three adult children: Andy (41), Cathi (39), and James (37).

The South Dakota Trucking Association joins the Safety Management Council in congratulating Robert Grape for being selected as the May 2024 Driver of the Month.

A nomination form & rules can be found on page 27 or online at www.southdakotatrucking.com

We offer high-quality, low-cost CDL training options in the South Dakota region that are available online from any device. Our curriculum is fully compliant with the current FMCSA ELDT Training standards, and we are a member in good standing of the Training Provider Registry as a Theory provider.

To learn about our fully-online, FMCSA-compliant CDL Theory program and how you can join our trainee to employee pipeline, call the SDTA office at 605-334-8871 or go to www.southdakotatrucking.com

JUNE 6-9, 2024

Wheel Jam Truck Show State Fairgrounds Huron, SD

JULY 18, 2024

SDTA East River Golf Event

9:00 a.m.

Brandon Golf Course Brandon, SD

AUGUST 21-24, 2024

National Truck Driving Championships Indianapolis, IN

SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2024

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

SEPTEMBER 25-27, 2024

SDTA 89th Annual Convention

Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel and Casino Deadwood, SD

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

SDTA & SDADA Annual Pheasant Hunt

8:00 a.m.

Meet at Hutch’s Cafe Presho, SD

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

SDTA Fall Executive Committee Meeting 8:00 a.m.

AmericInn

Fort Pierre, SD

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

SDTA Fall Board of Directors Meeting 10:00 a.m.

AmericInn Fort Pierre, SD

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

West River Legislative Reception

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Minervas | Lincoln Room Rapid City, SD

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

East River Legislative Reception 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Minervas | Lower Level Sioux Falls, SD

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Annual Legislative Reception and Sundae Bar 6:00 p.m.

Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

SDTA Winter Executive Committee Meeting 10:00 a.m.

Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

SDTA Winter Board of Directors Meeting 12:30 p.m.

Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center Pierre, SD

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• Beginning-to-end claims management

• Physical therapy

• DOT and Non-DOT Drug screening programs

• Random UDS Generation

• Breath Alcohol Testing

EV Mandates for the Trucking Industry are Disconnected from Reality

The best approach to decarbonization provides the greatest environmental benefit at the lowest possible cost. Current regulations do neither while unleashing inflationary consequences that will be felt for decades to come.

Chris Spear | ATA President & CEO

EV mandates for the trucking industry are an enormous mistake for many reasons validated by a new study from the American Transportation Research Institute. The report, Renewable Diesel – A Catalyst for Decarbonization, provides data using the U.S. Department of Energy’s GREET model that proves renewable diesel (RD) has a much smaller carbon footprint over its lifecycle than do battery-electric trucks, and that widescale adoption of RD in trucking can be achieved at a fraction of the cost of electrification.

To be clear: the trucking industry is not opposed to battery-electric vehicles (BEV). Some fleets are testing them, and the initial results are mixed at best. What’s abundantly clear from early adopters of this technology is that the hurdles to widescale adoption are so massive and undeniable that target and timelines mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) can be described as nothing more than utterly disconnected from reality.

This week a fleet manager for PITT OHIO, an early-adopter of BEV trucks, testified on Capitol Hill to explain the real-world challenges of commercial vehicle electrification to members of Congress: What we do oppose are one-size-fits-all mandates that impose singular technologies onto an extremely varied industry like trucking while ruling out alternative fuel sources that offer greater environmental, operational, and financial benefits. Just as any good toolbox contains a diverse set of tools, each designed for specific tasks, the trucking industry needs a range of technologies tailored to different operational needs. Hammers are great at driving nails, but it’s not advisable to build a house with just a hammer. BEV trucks might work well in specific trucking operations, such as urban delivery and school buses but you cannot move the entire U.S. economy on battery-electric alone.

EPA’s new Greenhouse Gas Phase 3 regulation classifies BEV trucks as “zero-emission,” but that’s only because regulators looked solely at tailpipe emissions and excluded the full life-cycle carbon footprint of battery-electric and other alternatives. It’s no longer a secret that battery-electric trucks are not truly zero-emission vehicles, as the sourcing of rare minerals, the production of Lithium-ion batteries, and the electricity

generation and transmission required to power them generate significant carbon emissions. Replacing a petroleum diesel truck with battery-electric does reduce the lifecycle carbon footprint by about 30%. However, substituting renewable diesel in place of petroleum provides a far greater carbon reduction of nearly 70%.

6: Camparison of Life-Cycle CO2 Emissions for a Class 8 Truck Using Three Fuel Types

One would think mandating the total overhaul of an essential industry that underpins the entire U.S. economy would deserve, at minimum, a simple cost/benefit analysis before making decisions of such seismic proportions. It stands to reason that the best approach to decarbonization would provide the greatest environmental benefit at the lowest possible cost. EV mandates do neither while unleashing inflationary consequences that will be felt for decades to come.

“EPA and CARB’s dogmatic hyperfixation on BEVs as the only technology solution is simply bad environmental and economic policy.”

Full electrification of the U.S. trucking fleet, which California is trying to spearhead by 2036 with its own electric-truck mandate, would cost more than $1 trillion in infrastructure investment alone. That doesn’t even account for the upcharge cost of the vehicles themselves.

Continued on Page 13.

Figure

Highway Crashes: Slow Growth is Still Growth

The annual increase in fatalities from large truck crashes slowed to 2% from 2021 to 2022. How do you keep your drivers from being in a collision?

Steve Vaughn | PrePass

Safety Alliance

While there were more large truck crashes, fewer people were killed in them, according to the latest fatalities and injuries report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federal highway safety agency’s statistics lag a year, so its annual update on highway fatalities and injuries compares results from 2022 to 2021.

The definite good news: 716 fewer people were killed in all types of motor vehicle traffic crashes during 2022 than in 2021, a 1.7% decrease. The somewhat good news: for crashes involving large trucks (by NHTSA definition, any commercial or noncommercial vehicle more than 10,000 lb. GVWR), the annual increase in fatalities slowed to 2.0% from 2021 to 2022.

But slow growth is still growth. And no one wants growth of this kind: In 2022, NHTSA estimates that 5,936 people died as a result of truck-involved

crashes, while another 160,608 people suffered injuries.

Some might rush to say that truck drivers were not at fault in most of those crashes. Probably true. NHTSA, however, does not attribute fault; NHTSA only reports involvement. Crash involvement can still be catastrophic. In 2022, 1,097 large truck occupants were killed, and 41,874 were injured. Those large truck occupants could have been your drivers and co-workers.

So, how do you keep your trucks and drivers from being involved in a crash? NHTSA actively monitors three driver behavior factors: speeding, alcohol impairment, and failure to use seat belts. You probably already tell your drivers to buckle up, don’t drink and drive (and stay away from those CBD gummies as no government agency certifies their THC content), and don’t speed. Good. But we can all do more on the speeding front.

Legally, we should all stay within the posted speed limit. However, due to traffic, weather, or road conditions, safety may require a slower speed. That means telling our truck drivers to remain continually aware of their surroundings so they have time to adjust their speed and avoid involvement in potentially unsafe situations on the road.

Truck drivers who stay aware of traffic and adjust their speed will probably avoid appearing on next year’s NHTSA report.

Reprinted from FleetOwner.

EV Mandates for the Trucking Industry are Disconnected from Reality continued from Page 11.

Battery-electric trucks range from 2-3x as expensive as a comparable eco-diesel truck. Considering that 96% of U.S. trucking companies operate 10 or fewer trucks, these mandates are simply cost-prohibitive for most truckers. It will put many out of business, cause consolidation in the industry, and drive prices up for consumers. If inflation is a concern, then hammering a massive, impossible, and unfunded mandate squarely onto the supply chain’s central link is about the most foolish policy one could ask for.

Moreover, the limitations of battery-electric technology make this fuel unworkable for many trucking operations. Seventy-seven percent of U.S. trucks travel 250 miles or more daily, yet current BEV truck technology has a usable trip range of only 150-250 miles. In comparison, RD has no range limitations and can run 1,200 miles on a single fill-up.

Since RD is a drop-in fuel that works in today’s eco-diesel engines, there’s no lengthy and costly infrastructure buildout required before.

Make no mistake: Trucking has gone all-in on reducing our environmental impact, and we’ve come a long way already. Over the past 40 years, we have cut NOx and particulate matter pollution by 99%. Today’s clean-burn diesel trucks have reduced carbon emissions by 50% compared to pre2010 models. Smart, pragmatic, and technology-neutral policies that allow for a range of low-carbon fuel sources are the necessary bridge to carry us to a zero-emission future, but EPA and CARB’s dogmatic hyper-fixation on BEVs as the only technology solution is simply bad environmental and economic policy.

Reprinted from the ATA Blog.

DOT SERVICES

DOT Physicals | DOT and Non-DOT Drug Screening and Alcohol Testing | MRO Services | Injury Care (billed at South Dakota Work Comp Fee Schedule) | Third Party Administration

Employee Assistant Plan | Additional Occupational Health Services | Efficient, Friendly, Professional Services 605-322-5100

AVERA EPA SERVICES IS NOW OFFERING... DOT-QUALIFIED SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROFESSIONALS

The Avera Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers substance abuse evaluations for employees who test positive for drugs or alcohol, as regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Under DOT regulations, safety-sensitive employees (i.e., truck drivers, pilots and airline workers, transit workers, pipeline workers, etc.) are subject to pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol tests. When there is a positive test result, the DOTregulated employee must seek the service of a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP). 605-322-4069

DRIVE Act Speeds Up While Speed Limiter Proposal Slows Down?

Mark Schremmer | Senior Editor

Rep. Dusty Johnson’s support for the DRIVE Act serves as the latest win for a bill that would prevent a speed limiter mandate on commercial vehicles.

Johnson, a Republican from South Dakota, became a co-sponsor of the DRIVE Act on Friday, April 26. HR3039 now has 42 co-sponsors. Meanwhile, it’s unclear when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will propose a mandate.

Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., introduced HR3039 last May, and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., launched the Senate version of the DRIVE Act, S2671, last July. Both versions of the bill would prohibit the FMCSA from promulgating any rule or regulation mandating speed limiters.

The DRIVE Act is in response to FMCSA’s 2022 advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking that considered requiring most heavy-duty trucks to be equipped with speed governors.

Although hurdles remain to get the DRIVE Act passed into law, the increasing support for the bill shows the displeasure of a potential speed governor mandate in many segments of the United States. HR3039 now has co-sponsors in 22 states. Many of the states have large rural areas, such as South Dakota, Montana and Oklahoma.

“This overreach by the Biden administration has the potential to negatively impact all facets of the agricultural and trucking industries,” Brecheen said when the bill was introduced last year. “I know from experience driving a semi while hauling equipment and years spent hauling livestock that the flow of traffic set by state law is critical for safety, instead of an arbitrary one-size-fits-all speed limit imposed by some bureaucrat sitting at his desk in Washington, D.C. This rule will add one more needless burden, and Congress must stop it.”

What about FMCSA’s speed limiter proposal?

As mentioned, the agency kicked the tires regarding a possible mandate in 2022. FMCSA received more than 15,000 comments in response, with the majority coming from truck drivers who are opposed due to “dangerous speed differentials.”

Despite the opposition, the agency has maintained its plan to move forward with a formal proposal that includes a top speed. However, it keeps speeding past its target dates.

FMCSA had planned to unveil its proposal first in June 2023 and then in December 2023. The next target date is in May, but the agency isn’t expected to meet that one either.

First, FMCSA still hasn’t submitted its proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. OMB reviews often take months. Additionally, a champion of the proposal – former FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson –resigned from her post earlier this year. It’s also possible that the agency doesn’t want to release a controversial proposal as the presidential election approaches.

OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh said the rumblings from a recent Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance meeting were that FMCSA will not publish a speed limiter proposal before the year is over.

“There probably won’t be any ruling or anything come out on speed limiters this year,” Pugh recently told Land Line Now. “That probably makes sense, because we don’t have an administrator, it’s an election year and we probably won’t get an administrator until next year … However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to be reaching out to your lawmakers. Don’t let up – full throttle. This just buys us more time to get people on Capitol Hill behind the DRIVE Act so that we can get the DRIVE Act across the finish line.”

Reprinted from Land Line.

The 22nd Annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Event was held on May 10th in Chamberlain, South Dakota. The Calcutta was held the night before at the AmericInn, following the spring board meeting. During the Calcutta, more than $13, 875 was raised, with half going to workforce development and the other half going to the top four boat purchasers.

It was a beautiful day for fishing. We had a great turnout! This year’s fishing event featured 25 boats. The boats left the marina no earlier than 7:30 a.m. and had until 3:00 p.m. to check in with their walleyes. Seven walleye were weighed per boat, with no more than two measuring 20 inches or larger. The top four finishers received a payout.

Thank you to BJ Reynolds for being our auctioneer, and Mitch Miller and Jason Hendrickson for serving as spotters for the evening!

TOP FOUR FINISHERS

Thank you to all who participated in the 22nd Annual Cliff Tjaden Fishing Event!

1ST PLACE: (L-R) Jesse Fox, Josh Schipper and Tom Murphy

2ND PLACE: (L-R) Andrew Harr, Brody Harr, Tyler Hanson and Rhett Hanson

3RD PLACE: (L-R) Todd Vandenbosch, Russ Robers and Lantz Brennen

4TH PLACE: (L-R) Danny Kolsterman and Bob Kolsterman

WINNER: Jesse Fox

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

DIAMOND SPONSOR TRUCK CENTER COMPANIES

RUBY SPONSOR K& J TRUCKING INC.

EMERALD SPONSOR TAYLOR & MARTIN, LLC

TOPAZ SPONSOR CROSSROADS TRAILER SALES & SERVICE

LARGEST WALLEYE SPONSOR THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK IN SIOUX FALLS

T-SHIRT SPONSOR DON AND CASSIE KNOWLER

COOLER RAFFLE SPONSOR MID-STATES UTILITY TRAILER SALES

A special thank you to Brad and Shelley Schipper for arranging and sponsoring the weigh-in team, as well as the entire team at K&J Trucking, Inc., for planning and organizing this year’s event.

Is the U.S. Power Grid Ready for Electrification?

Kevin Jones | Editor

The U.S. power grid is outdated and overburdened—it needs upgrades and expansion to support the transition to commercial electric vehicles.

If hype and hope generated a steady flow of electrons, the transition to commercial electric vehicles would be much more straightforward. As it stands, however, the U.S. power grid is outdated and overburdened, and upgrades will require coordination and cooperation from hundreds of utilities, their regulators, and their customers.

Most critically, upgrades and expansion will take time. That’s the takeaway from the latest Endeavor Plugged-In, a monthly podcast about the state of the EV sector. This edition ponders the question of grid readiness.

“When we’re looking at the grid and trying to identify if it’s at a healthy spot for new EV demand, honestly, no—but that doesn’t mean that it’s a hopeless situation,” Breanna Sandridge, senior editor with EBM titles Energy Tech and Microgrid Knowledge, said. “When it comes to the grid, we need to start thinking of it as a resource with somewhat limited capabilities. It’s something very critical to the way that we do business and the way that we live and operate our lives. We have to think of ourselves as working in tandem with the grid.”

She emphasized that the EV transition is just part of the anticipated surge in electricity demand, with growing needs ranging from consumer-level electronics to critical infrastructure like hospitals and the data centers that serve an increasingly connected world—to say nothing of the anticipated power needs of the coming AI revolution.

And, rather than worrying about whether the grid can meet one’s energy needs, electricity suppliers and users should first look for alternatives to tapping into the network.

“We need to be very intentional with the way that we build our new electric systems. So when we’re building our chargers, we need to be asking ourselves, ‘is there any way that we can take off some of the burden from the grid?’” she suggested. “So not only does that take the burden off, but it also provides us with a little bit of independence—knowing that if something were to happen, we can continue to operate.”

Shoring up

Jeff Postelwait, senior editor at T&D World, likewise, doesn’t think the grid is ready for EVs.

“Frankly, no. In a lot of cases, service interruptions and blackouts are on the rise. Transmission congestion is a problem. And it’s difficult to get new grid resources built,” he said. “There is a lot that we can do in the meantime to shore things up at the margins: better energy efficiency, or introducing some grid upgrades here and there. But fine-tuning only goes so far; a big surge in power demand would be ill-timed right now.”

The good news: Utilities are “very good at collaborating,” Postelwait added. He’s also optimistic about new companies with promising concepts and technology coming into the charging space.

“Some interesting startups are doing a lot of interesting projects,” he said. “My colleagues and I sometimes get skeptical about startups; some of them seem fly-by-night or they seem

like just some guy in a turtleneck who talked some people into giving him a million dollars.

“But some of these people actually have boots on the ground, shovels in the dirt—they’re doing things. And I think those are the sort of laboratories that will be interesting to watch.”

Overpromised, underdelivered

Of course, the commercial EV space has its share of startups, several of which have become famous—or infamous—for outlandish valuations. There’s a lot of overpromising and underdelivering when it comes to electric trucks.

Meanwhile, the established truck OEMs keep plugging away, so to speak, essentially reimagining their business model to support their customers’ many new challenges during the EV transition. (While also building the ever-more-efficient ICE vehicles that are still the backbone of the U.S. economy, I might add.)

Discussing the needs and expectations of the commercial transportation sector was my small part in the discussion. Basically, I didn’t say anything readers of FleetOwner or Fleet Maintenance haven’t seen on our pages before: No juice, no EVs—period. Pretty much everything else is whether or not mandates might or should be more aggressive than the market can support.

The bottom line, in terms of the grid: A truck stop supporting commercial EVs will have the power demand of a small town. And consider all the places where three or more truck stops are clustered together on a major freight corridor.

Festina lente

Recalling a conversation at a T&D World Live event, Postelwaite explained the topic was the many, many hurdles standing in the way of sweeping updates to the U.S. power grid. Someone then noted that China and India were already undertaking such projects. “Maybe this is a ‘you’ problem,” the person commented.

“We do need power investment—there just isn’t any way around it,” Postelwait said. “There’s no software or solution that’s going to take the place of a grid that’s too old or too damaged or too stressed out to operate—not when you’re talking about gigawatts of electricity. We need smart energy policy that isn’t one size fits all.”

And we needed it yesterday.

“A big, unanswered question here is: How fast is this transition going to take place? Is it going to be years, decades? Is it going to stretch out into the rest of the century?” Postelwait suggested. “I think it’s going to depend on where you live in the world, but it’s not going to be uniform by any means.”

But, again, the key to long-term success will be to work smart. Or, to borrow some Latin: Festina lente, meaning “make haste slowly.”

“It’s really about looking at it from a holistic point of view, and how can we help each other?” Sandridge concluded. “Because at the end of the day, this is a system that all of us rely on, and we’re all counting on it to be as strong and formidable as possible.”

Reprinted from FleetOwner.

GOP Lawmakers Introduce Resolution to Undo EPA’s New Emission Standards

Tyson Fisher | Associate Editor

Republicans in Congress are trying to dismantle the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new truck emission standards.

On Wednesday, May 1, Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Dan Sullivan, R-Ark., along with Rep. John James, R-Mich., held a press conference announcing they are introducing Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to invalidate the EPA’s latest rules setting stricter emission standards for both heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles. Ricketts and James introduced the CRA for the light- and medium-duty vehicles rule. Sullivan and Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, introduced the CRA for the heavy-duty vehicles rule.

During the news conference, the lawmakers referred to the rules as an EV mandate and called the regulations “delusional.” The Republican-led charge against the emission standards claims the relatively high costs of electric vehicles will “decimate” middle-class and lower-income Americans while being reliant on China for batteries. In a news release, James called the emission rules “comply-or-die electric vehicle mandates.”

Although Wednesday’s announcement focused on the lightand medium-duty emission rule, efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s emission standards include the heavy-duty truck emission rule. Sullivan concluded his remarks with a statement from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

“Small-business truckers make up 96% of trucking and could be regulated out of existence if the EPA’s misguided mandate comes into effect,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in the statement. “This could have devastating effects on the reliability of America’s supply chain and ultimately on the cost and availability of consumer goods. Local mom-and-pop trucking businesses would be suffocated by the sheer cost and operational challenges of effectively mandating EV trucks. We thank Sen. Ricketts and Sen. Sullivan for their leadership in Congress in standing up for America’s small-business truckers to fight EPA’s unworkable emission regulations.”

New truck emission standards

EPA’s new truck emission standards will effectively force 25% of new sleeper-cab tractor sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2032.

Commonly referred to as “zero-emission” trucks, electric and hydrogen-fueled trucks are actually “zero-direct-emission” vehicles, as defined by the Department of Energy. Although emission measured on a tailpipe basis (direct) may be zero,

emission related to battery production, distribution, recycling and disposal do not have a net-zero result.

Truck emission standards vary by vehicle type. Light heavy-duty (Class 2b-5) vocational trucks, for example, have the most stringent standards, requiring 60% be zero-emission by 2032.

According to the EPA, the final truck emission standards will avoid about 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emission from 2027 through 2055. The federal government also claims that the heavy-duty industry will see annualized savings of $3.5 billion compared to annualized costs of about $1.1 billion.

Legal challenges?

With the Congressional Review Act unlikely to succeed, another avenue to invalidate the new truck emission standards is through the courts.

A CRA resolution is an oversight tool Congress can use to overturn agencies’ rules. However, it requires passage in both chambers of Congress and a signature from the president or a supermajority in Congress to override a presidential veto. Since CRA resolutions are typically partisan in nature, they rarely survive.

Out of the more than 250 resolutions introduced between 1996 and 2022, only 20 have been successful – 16 of those during former President Donald Trump’s first year in office, when Republicans controlled both the legislative and executive branches. Currently, Republicans have only a slim majority in the House.

However, an agency rule can be challenged in court by virtually anyone who feels it violates the law or constitution. Since the EPA’s truck emission rule just recently became official, no lawsuits challenging it have hit the federal court docket … yet.

Continued on Page 25.

Mike Habeck Named 2024 Wheel Jam Truck Show Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

K&J Named Best Overall Small Fleet by Best Fleets

18 Wheel Truck Promotions LLC and the Wheel Jam Truck Show are excited to announce Mike Habeck, Habeck Trucking, Belle Fourche, South Dakota, as our 2024 recipient of the Wheel Jam Truck Show Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented by 18 Wheel Truck Promotions LLC every year to someone who has had amazing success in the trucking industry.

Mr. Habeck will receive this award at the 2024 Wheel Jam Truck Show held June 6th–9th on the South Dakota State Fair Grounds, Huron, SD.

Congratulations Mike!

In a joint statement following the announcement of the new rule, the American Petroleum Institute and American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers indicated they are poised to take legal action if necessary.

“By moving forward with an extreme reliance on so-called heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles, this rule disincentivizes the development of other fuel-based technologies – including American-made renewable diesel – that are working in today’s heavy-duty fleet to reduce emissions more quickly and at a lower cost,” the oil and gas associations said in a statement. “This misguided rule should be overturned by

K&J Trucking of Sioux Falls, South Dakota received the CarriersEdge Award for Best Overall Fleet in the small carrier category. This is the first time K&J Trucking has received the Best Overall Fleet award. This year also marks the third time K&J Trucking received recognition as a Top 20 Best Fleet to Drive For. This award is sponsored by Netradyne.

Congratulations K&J Trucking, Inc.!

Congress, but short of that, our organizations are prepared to explore challenges in court.”

Federal courts have been mixed when it comes to similar challenges to emission rules. In March, a federal court in Texas struck down a new Federal Highway Administration rule establishing transportation-related greenhouse gas emission performance measures. Two weeks later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected a bid by 17 Republican-led states and several oil groups to overturn California’s ability to set stricter emission standards. Reprinted from Land Line.

Pictured L to R at the 2023 Wheel Jam Truck Show: Charlie Flowers, Pete & Joy Peterson, Alton & Donnalee Palmer, Mike Habeck and Ja’net Eastman.

Pictured L to R Daniel Schipper and Shelley Schipper.

GOP Lawmakers Introduce Resolution to Undo EPA’s New Emission Standards continued from Page 23.

DRIVER OF THE MONTH NOMINATION FORM & RULES

Date:___________________________ Jacket Size:___________

Name of Driver:________________________________________________________________ Age:____________

Marital Status:_________________________ Spouse’s Name:____________

Residence Address (in full):__________ _____

Children & Ages:____________________________________________________________________________________________

Name of Carrier:____________________________________________________________ ____________________

Home Terminal Address (in full):_______________________________

Phone Number:__________________________________ Email:_______________________________

Years Employed by Present Employer:_____________________ Total Years of Experience:____________________

Type of Equipment Operated: c Truck c Tractor-Semitrailer c Doubles c Other

Type of Driving: c Over the Road c City c Other

Total Mileage:____________ _ Mileage with Present Employer:___ ______________ # of Accidents: _____Chargeable Dates:________________________________________________ _____Non-Chargeable Dates:________________________________________________

Has your driver ever been selected as a Driver of the Month or Driver of the Year in South Dakota or any other state? c Yes c No If yes, when?:______________

Participation in truck driving championships or other transportation related activities: ___________________________________

Basis of Nomination:__________________________

With this entry, company agrees to send their driver, if selected as Driver of the Month, to the South Dakota Trucking Association Annual Convention, where the driver will participate in a personal interview. Drivers not being interviewed will not be eligible for the Driver of the Year honors. Interview times will be scheduled Friday afternoon during the convention.

With this entry, the company agrees to submit Driver of the Year Entry Form for National Competition if your driver is selected as the South Dakota Driver of the Year.

RULES:

Driver may be nominated for Driver of the Month for any outstanding act of heroism, a contribution to highway safety, an extraordinary act of courtesy, an exceptional deed or act of service to mankind within the community reflecting positively on the motor carrier industry, or for a long period of safe and courteous driving. An outstanding act shall be deemed to mean unusual or other than the normal every day courtesies afforded by truck drivers.

ELIGIBILITY:

1. The nominated driver must be an employee of a member in good standing of the South Dakota Trucking Association.

2. The nominated driver must have been an employee of the present employer for at least two years and have a minimum of five years overall experience.

3. South Dakota domiciled* drivers are eligible for nomination for an outstanding act performed in any state. * The intent of the word “domiciled” shall be interpreted to mean: Any driver reporting to or regularly dispatched from a terminal within the state of SD (in keeping with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations definition of his/her home terminal) regardless of where the driver may dwell.

4. A driver may receive the Driver of the Month award only one time in any contest year. He/she may be renominated in any subsequent year.

5. Nominations for outstanding acts on the highway shall be accompanied by supporting evidence (letters, statements, news clippings, etc.). A clear, factual account is absolutely necessary. Vague generalizations will not be accepted.

6. A copy of recent driver motor vehicle record check must accompany the nomination.

7. Drivers nominated and not selected as Driver of the Month will be held over and used in the following month’s selection.

8. Entries must be in the SDTA office no later than the 10th of each month for that current month’s contest.

9. Nominations may be made by any party, but must be approved by the employer or a representative of the employer.

10. The annual contest will run from September of the previous year through August of the current year.

11. Company agrees to submit a professional head and shoulders photo of the winning driver.

You deserve a business banker who actually understands your business.

Equipment

Building

Younger-Driver Pilot Program Drops 2 Controversial Requirements

Deborah Lockridge | Editor & Associate Publisher

A federal program designed to look at the safety of younger commercial truck drivers is getting a Congressionally mandated revision to remove some provisions that were believed to be hindering the program’s progress.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on May 14 published a notice revising its Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program to remove requirements that participating motor carriers use inward-facing cameras and become DOL-registered apprenticeship programs.

The Younger-Truck-Driver Conundrum

In 49 states plus the District of Columbia, 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds can get a commercial driver’s license and drive heavy-duty commercial vehicles in intrastate commerce, but federal rules have long prohibited those same drivers from driving in interstate commerce.

This often means that young people coming out of high school don’t explore trucking as a career, and by the time they turn 21, they often already are in a different career.

The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program was intended to study potential paths and safeguards that would allow these younger drivers to safely work in interstate trucking. FMCSA announced the program in 2022, after the 2021 the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act required the DOT to set up such a program.

The language of that bill called for:

• Specific probationary periods.

• For apprentices to be accompanied in the passenger seat by an experienced driver.

• That the trucks driven by these apprentices be equipped with an active braking collision mitigation system, automated or automatic transmission, forward-facing video event capture system, and a governed speed of 65 mph.

Younger Truck Driver Apprenticeship Program Flounders in Red Tape

However, among the motor carrier requirements for participation in the final regulation from FMCSA were the installation and use of inward-facing cameras and that motor carriers receive approval as a Registered Apprenticeship Program from the Department of Labor.

Although the younger-driver pilot program opened for applications in August 2022, more than a year later, it still had not gotten enough participants for a statistically valid research effort.

According to the American Trucking Associations, the apprenticeship program was capped at 3,000 participating drivers at any one time, but only a few dozen had enrolled.

As HDT previously reported, the topic was one of several that a House subcommittee grilled then-FMCSA administrator Robin Hutcheson on in December 2023. In that hearing, Cory Maloy (R-UT) charged that the program had requirements that were not in the IIJA that made it too difficult to qualify.

The American Trucking Associations and the International Foodservice Distributors Association championed a provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed in March, which said FMCSA may not require motor carriers wishing to participate in the SDAP Program to use inward-facing cameras or become DOL-registered apprenticeship programs.

FMCSA Accepting Motor Carrier Applications for Revised Younger-Driver Pilot Program

In the FMCSA’s May 14 notice, it said motor carriers wishing to participate in the SDAP Program will not be required to meet either provision.

In addition, motor carriers already participating in the SDAP Program will no longer be required to use inward-facing cameras or to maintain their approved Registered Apprenticeship program.

Motor carriers may, voluntarily, decide to install or use inward-facing cameras, or become an approved Registered Apprenticeship. They may choose to include safety alerts from inward facing cameras as part of their monthly data submissions. However, they will not be required to do so, even if they choose to use inward-facing cameras.

FMCSA is accepting applications from motor carriers for the pilot program. Links for the application, which has been revised to conform with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, are available on the Agency’s website at www.fmcsa. dot.gov.

FMCSA also said it will reach out to motor carriers that previously submitted applications but were missing Registered Apprenticeship numbers to determine whether they are still interested in participating in the SDAP Program. Reprinted from HDT Trucking Info.