Trucks Clips: July 19, 2024

 

 

Video: What Does The 2024 Presidential Election Mean For Trucking? — “Right now, the 2024 presidential election is as close to a toss up as it can get. According to poll site 538, former president Trump has consistently had the edge on incumbent President Biden dating back to March, but the margin between the two, which right now is just 2%, has never been very far apart. A president’s influence on transportation is felt from many directions, including labor policies, emissions regulations and even heads of departments that oversee trucking and its ruleset; like the Department of Transportation.” [Commercial Carrier Journal, 7/19/24 (=)]

 

 

 

OOIDA’s Pugh To Testify At House Subcommittee Hearing — “OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh says that if lawmakers want to improve highway safety, they need to listen to what truck drivers have to say. Pugh plans to relay that message when he testifies next week at a House subcommittee hearing. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association represents small-business truckers and has about 150,000 members. ‘The highway is a trucker’s office,’ Pugh said. ‘No one cares more about highway safety than a trucker. So I will tell lawmakers to stop listening to truck safety groups and bureaucrats. Instead, they should listen to truckers.’ The House Highways and Transit subcommittee will meet at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, July 24 to examine the U.S. Department of Transportation’s regulatory and administrative agenda. Although a full witness list for the hearing has not been released, Land Line has confirmed that Pugh will testify. ‘It is always a great opportunity to testify,’ Pugh said. ‘It gives us an opportunity to inform multiple lawmakers at one time about the issues that affect truckers on a daily basis. We will be reminding lawmakers how important truckers are to the supply chain and that every regulation – good or bad – has a drastic effect on not only truckers but the overall supply chain.’” [Land Line, 7/18/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Bass, Buttigieg To Tout $77.5 Million In Funding Awarded To Metro For Zero-Emission Bus Project — “Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg are scheduled to tour a Metro bus division on Thursday while highlighting $77.5 million in new federal funding for a zero-emission bus and charging infrastructure project. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s funding award is the second largest in the country out of 117 projects that the Federal Transit Administration selected for funding from 477 eligible applications, according to a news release. The funds are earmarked to help the agency purchase dozens of battery electric buses, install new chargers and expand workforce development training at its West Hollywood bus division. The new electric buses will run on multiple lines throughout L.A. County and are expected to enhance mobility with direct access to Metro rail lines.” [KABC-TV, 7/18/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Cummins, Inc.

 

Accelera By Cummins Awarded $75 Million For Zero-Emissions Manufacturing — “Cummins has been awarded $75 million to convert approximately 360,000 sq. ft. of existing manufacturing space at its Columbus, Indiana Engine Plant (CEP) for zero-emissions components and electric powertrain systems. The $75 million grant is the largest federal grant ever awarded solely to Cummins and is part of the appropriations related to the Inflation Reduction Act. Cummins said it will match the grant and invest $75 million for a total of $150 million to convert the space and expand production of battery packs, powertrain systems and other battery-electric vehicle (BEV) components for Accelera by Cummins, the company’s zero-emissions business segment. To support this additional manufacturing capacity, Cummins anticipates adding approximately 250 full-time jobs, with opportunities for the plant’s existing workforce to transition to many of these positions over time. ‘This DOE grant is another step forward in the progress we are making toward a zero-emissions future and expanding battery manufacturing in the United States,’ Amy Davis, president of Accelera by Cummins, said. ‘Today’s announcement represents a crucial step in advancing electrification and domestic battery supply chains. Partnership with government, customers, and the industry as a whole is required to accelerate the shift to zero. We are proud of this milestone and to be adding clean tech jobs to develop the workforce and communities of the future.’” [The Buzz EV News, 7/18/24 (+)]

 

Geely

 

Volvo To Receive $208M To Accelerate Heavy-Duty Electric Truck Production — “The Energy Department awarded $208 million to Volvo Technology of America to help fast-track the production of heavy-duty electric trucks and related powertrain components. The funding will assist Volvo Group’s Lehigh Valley Operations truck assembly site in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where it produces Mack trucks, and its New River Valley truck location in Dublin, Virginia, Volvo’s largest truck manufacturing plant in the world. Facilities will be upgraded and move toward mixed model assembly, allowing for scalability and flexibility, according to Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey. ‘The upgrades enable a novel manufacturing approach that will significantly increase the production capacity potential of battery electric vehicles (BEV)/fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV),’ a project summary said, noting how the changes will help improve BEV and FCEV production processes.” [Trucking Dive, 7/18/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Arkansas

 

Arkansas Company Helps Schools Apply For Electric Bus Grants — “In 2022, the EPA started a clean school bus program, and since then, each year has seen two rounds of awards for electric school buses. An Arkansas company, Entegrity, is helping schools in Arkansas apply for that grant money and implement the grant money once awarded. Parker Higgs with Entegrity says a new electric school bus could be around $400,000, but he hopes this grant money will help spur the industry to bring those costs down. Higgs says the implementation of electric school buses could bring environmental benefits and pollution reduction. ‘So, there have been studies that, I think it’s something, over 80-90% of the pollutants that school kids get exposed to on a typical day come from riding the bus in the morning and in the afternoon. So, going to an electric vehicle eliminates all of those pollutants there at the bus, which ultimately will lead to healthier students,’ Higgs says.” [KATV-TV, 7/18/24 (=)]

 

Colorado

 

News Desk | Aveson Schools Will Have New Electric Buses — “Aveson Schools has been awarded a $650,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to purchase new electric buses and build the necessary infrastructure to support them. This funding is part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which aims to replace older, gas-powered school buses with cleaner, more efficient electric models. The transition to electric buses marks a significant step forward for Aveson in its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. While it will take several months to establish the required infrastructure and ensure the seamless integration of these new buses, the benefits will be substantial. ‘Replacing our gas-powered buses with electric models will greatly benefit our community and the environment,’ said Ian McFeat, Executive Director for Aveson Schools. ‘These new buses are easier to use and less prone to breakdowns. They also eliminate the need for fossil fuels, reducing our carbon footprint. We are excited to do our part to support clean air and healthy communities.’” [Colorado Boulevard, 7/18/24 (+)]

 

Florida

 

PSTA Plans To Add 16 All-Electric And Hybrid-Electric Buses To Its Fleet — “With the largest grant of its kind ever awarded to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), the nation’s top transit agency is set to enhance its industry-leading efforts in cost reduction and sustainability. PSTA proudly announced it will receive $27.8 million in federal grants to expand its growing fleet of eco-friendly vehicles. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has confirmed funds to purchase at least 16 all-electric and hybrid-electric buses, along with the necessary charging infrastructure. Additionally, these funds will support workforce development and training for PSTA employees on best practices for maintaining this modern technology. $27.8 million grant will help enhance PSTA’s sustainable fleet ‘Not only will these electric buses make our community more environmentally friendly, they are a financially smart investment, saving tens of thousands of dollars in diesel fuel and maintenance expenses over their lives. Receiving this good news is just another sign of why PSTA was named the best transit agency in the nation,’ said Gina Driscoll, Chair of the PSTA Board of Directors and St. Petersburg City Council member.” [I Love The Burg, 7/18/24 (=)]

 

Texas

 

Irving’s Heidelberg Materials Selected By The EPA For Up To $5M Environmental Project — “Irving-based Heidelberg Materials North America has been selected to receive up to $5 million in funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a robust, web-based tool that can help ready-mix concrete, cement, and aggregate facilities to quickly produce high-quality Environmental Product Declarations. ‘With this funding, Heidelberg Materials can accelerate the push for more sustainable construction materials and transparency across the industry while also helping our customers make more informed decisions when choosing products with a lower carbon footprint,’ Chris Ward, president and CEO of Heidelberg Materials North America, said in a statement. Heidelberg said the grants are part of EPA’s Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Construction Materials and Products Grant. Heidelberg was among 38 grant recipients across the country, totaling nearly $160 million, to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products, the company said.” [Dallas Innovates, 7/18/24 (+)]

 

Virginia

 

Fairfax County Receives $50M Grant For Hybrid Buses — “Fairfax County, Virginia, received more than $50 million as part of a federal grant to buy new hybrid buses. ‘A lot of times, we’re serving areas – we’ll call them disadvantaged areas – and they have the greatest impact with what happens with air pollution,’ said Tom Reynolds, of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. ‘They are in denser areas. So, if we’re running through those areas and we are contributing to emissions, that’s not good.’ The grant’s for hybrid buses instead of electric vehicles because the infrastructure’s not there, yet. They need chargers in bus facilities, and that’s not where it needs to be. The county said it’s going to be working on that. ‘But in the meantime, we’ll have these low emission vehicles to help reduce our fleet emissions,’ Reynolds said. Meanwhile, Maryland received more than $12 million in federal funding to expand electric vehicle charging stations across the state – 130 fast chargers at 23 sites.” [WRC-TV, 7/18/24 (+)]

 

 

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