The administration made another move to scale back truck emission rules, but the revisions are not all good for truck drivers.
In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency set new emission standards for trucks starting with model year 2027 vehicles. The new rules reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are 80% stricter than the rules they replace.
Industry pushback was fierce. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association opposed the rule, saying it would drive small-business truck drivers out of the industry.
“If small-business truckers can’t afford the new, compliant trucks, they’re going to stay with older, less-efficient trucks, pass along upgrade costs to consumers, or leave the industry entirely,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “Once again, EPA has largely ignored the warnings and concerns raised by truckers in this latest rule.”
Since the start of the current administration, the Environmental Protection Agency has vowed to mitigate or outright eliminate regulations that truck drivers have called burdensome and costly. That includes going after broad emission rules and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), including DEF sensors and deratements.
Now, the EPA is going after the 2023 rule.
On July 9, the agency announced it would file a proposed rule to revise the 2023 truck emission rule.
According to a news release, the revised version will save truck drivers $12 billion, with savings up to $6,000 per new truck purchase.
What the proposed rule does not do is eliminate the truck emission standards from the 2023 rule, which drew criticism from OOIDA.
“Truckers know all too well that poorly implemented emissions regulations result in breakdowns, costly downtime, and ultimately set back the goal for cleaner air,” Jay Grimes, OOIDA director of federal affairs, said. “Unfortunately, the NPRM marks a missed opportunity to adequately correct the shortcomings of the 2023 Final Rule.”
Here’s what the revised rule will do.
DEF deratements eliminated
Last year, the EPA addressed truckers’ DEF concerns with more driver-friendly deratement schedules. The proposed rule will get rid of that requirement entirely.
In order for manufacturers to stay compliant with emission rules, drivers must be induced to fix DEF issues. Although not mandated, that has been done by reducing engine power almost to a crawl. The 2023 rule codified deratements for model year 2027 and newer trucks.
EPA’s proposed rule will eliminate that mandate. Instead of requiring an engine deratement, manufacturers can stay compliant with visible or audible warnings. Rather than a truck engine shutting down, a driver will see a light or maybe hear some beeps to indicate DEF issues.
Although the proposed rule applies only to new trucks, the EPA is considering issuing guidance that will apply the DEF inducement change to existing trucks.
Warranties scaled back
One potential downside for drivers is a shorter warranty window.
EPA rules require manufacturers to provide a warranty for emissions-related issues. Currently, that warranty is 5 years/100,000 miles. The 2023 rule extends the warranty to 10 years/450,000 miles for MY 2027 and newer trucks. The proposed rule will revert back to the 5-year/100,000 warranty.
This is one part of the proposed rule that caused OOIDA to raise concerns.
“If EPA is unable to amend burdensome NOx emissions standards, we believe there are more productive solutions than drastically cutting extended warranty periods for small-business truckers at the behest of engine manufacturers and large fleets,” Grimes said. “The rule should ensure that truckers who purchase a new vehicle will not be constantly sidelined because of costly and repeated breakdowns that OOIDA members have historically experienced under new emissions regulations. Given these concerns, sensible warranty programs are critical for encouraging adoption of newer trucks.”
Compliance timeline relaxed
Manufacturers told the EPA they could meet new truck emission standards when the engines are new, but were less confident over the life of the engine. The proposed rule is reducing the useful-life period.
To stay compliant, engines must meet truck emission requirements throughout their useful life. Before the 2023 rule, that lifespan was 435,000 miles. After that mileage, a manufacturer cannot be dinged for noncompliance caused by degradation.
That lifespan was extended to 650,000 miles for MY 2027 and newer trucks in the 2013 rule. Under the proposed rule, the useful life will revert back to 435,000 miles.
“This will allow manufacturers to ensure new technologies perform reliably under real-world conditions, rather than rushing unproven products to market,” EPA states.
Open for comment
As with most proposed rules, everyone will have a chance to weigh in.
There will be a 45-day public comment period once the proposed rule is officially published. That can be found by going to Regulations.gov and entering docket number EPA-HQ-OAR-2026-0728 or click here.
A public hearing will also be announced at a later date. LL
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