When it comes to equipment, one of the biggest complaints truck drivers have is with diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). It’s a gripe the Environmental Protection Agency has been hearing and addressing.
DEF has been a thorn in the side of truck drivers and farmers for years. In addition to reports of poorer engine qualities, deratings or inducements can shut down a diesel engine with little to no warning.
Last August, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin delivered his first gift to truck drivers struggling with DEF system failures. The EPA issued guidance to manufacturers to give drivers more time to fix an issue before slowing a truck down.
Truck drivers welcomed the changes. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said the new “commonsense” schedules will help drivers maintain safe control of their vehicles as they fix a faulty DEF/selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system.
Although that guidance gave truckers more time to fix a DEF problem, it did little to address issues with faulty technology. Truck owners have reported problems with DEF system inducements despite staying in compliance.
On March 26, the EPA issued more guidance to manufacturers to reduce operational headaches caused by DEF systems. This one goes after the sensors monitoring the system.
Currently, manufacturers rely on Urea Quality Sensors (UQS) to monitor DEF quality. Unfortunately, those sensors are prone to triggering unnecessary inducements and have been a significant source of warranty claims. According to the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, UQSs have the highest failure rates among SCR components.
Previous EPA guidance has allowed manufacturers to use NOx sensors. Although those sensors tend to have fewer false inducements, they may not detect all DEF dilution scenarios and rely on indirect measurements. Manufacturers chose UQS because it gave regulators faster, more direct confirmation of DEF quality. The problem is that those sensors turned out to be some of the least reliable parts on the truck.
In other words, manufacturers were likely more focused on meeting strict compliance requirements than avoiding false inducements. EPA’s new guidance offers more flexibility.
Essentially, the EPA is making clear that alternative monitoring methods, including NOx sensors, will keep them compliant. The agency claims alternatives can reduce unnecessary inducements and the number of warranty claims.
“Failing DEF systems are not an east coast or west coast or heartland issue; it is a nationwide disaster,” Zeldin said. “I have heard from truck drivers, farmers, and many others complaining about DEF and pleading for a fix in all 50 states I visited during my first year as EPA Administrator. Americans are justified in being fed up with the failing DEF system issues. EPA understands this is a massive issue and has been doing everything within our statutory authority to address it. Today, we take another step in furthering our work by removing DEF sensors. Farmers and truckers should not be losing billions of dollars because of repair costs or days lost on the job.”
It is worth noting that the guidance itself does not eliminate DEF monitoring. It allows manufacturers to replace or supplement current sensors with alternative methods.
Like last year’s guidance, truck drivers applauded the EPA’s move.
“Small-business truckers have dealt with faulty diesel exhaust fluid systems for years, facing unexpected shutdowns and costly repairs that needlessly take trucks off the road,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “These are serious operational and safety concerns. We appreciate EPA Administrator Zeldin for listening to the concerns of America’s truckers and issuing commonsense guidance that keeps our supply chain moving.”
That’s the good news. The bad news is that guidance does not have the force and effect of law. As the EPA put it, guidance provides “clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or Agency policies.” A new administration can roll things back the way they were.
There is a bill that wants to codify some DEF relief for truck drivers. The Diesel Truck Liberation Act prevents individuals from being prosecuted or sued for tampering with or improving emission equipment. Another bill, the Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act, would provide year-round exemptions from DEF requirements for trucks operating primarily in cold climates. LL
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