Operations

Your Feb. 2 Pre-Trip: Grant to replace trucks at New Orleans port

Feb. 2, 2016

Here are five things worth knowing today.

Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. The Port of New Orleans received a $727,000 clean diesel grant for short-haul truckers to upgrade or replace their trucks, The Times-Picayune reports. According to the report, the Environmental Protection Agency grant was given to the port as part of its Clean Truck Replacement Incentive Program. Drayage and short-haul truck owners who operate within the port’s jurisdiction can replace truck models between 1993 and 2006 with model 2011 or newer. 2. A Northampton County, PA, senator has introduced a bill that would require truck drivers to clear ice and snow from atop trailers, the Citizens Voice reports. The bill was prompted by the 2005 death of Christine Lambert, who was struck by an eight-in. chunk that fell from a truck and shattered the windshield of her car. The publication’s editorial board suggests the state install devices that can clear snow from nearly impossible to reach trailer roofs at the interstate rest areas and weigh stations. The Citizens Voice has more.3. The 2017 Honda Ridgeline has been criticized for being “too feminine for truckers.” According to the Knoxville Daily Sun, now the Ridgeline seems to be promoting itself during a Super Bowl ad in a way that wouldn’t actually appeal to truckers. According to the report, the commercial is called “A New Truck To Love” and features singing animals and the driver listening to Queen’s “Somebody To Love.” The Daily Sun doesn’t seem to think that the lack of emphasis on the pickup’s strength and conventional trucking capabilities will appeal to a large sect of truckers.4. The Colorado Department of Transportation recently announced a new snow plow monitoring system that provides real-time location information for its fleet. According to CDOT, the system will allow the department to more efficiently deploy its fleets as well as allow the public to go online and see the areas that have been plowed. CDOT has more. 5. According to an Automotive News report, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will offer new calibrations for diesel engines to make them cleaner. FCA made the announcement after completing an internal review of its cars following the Volkswagen emissions scandal. The company maintained that its vehicles comply with emission regulations, and the automaker said it will offer the new pollution settings beginning in April.

About the Author

Cristina Commendatore

Cristina Commendatore was previously the Editor-in-chief of FleetOwner magazine. She reported on the transportation industry since 2015, covering topics such as business operational challenges, driver and technician shortages, truck safety, and new vehicle technologies. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.