The Trucker News Staff

DENVER — Roads in Colorado will soon be seeing green 18-wheelers — big trucks with plenty of power but zero emissions. That’s the result of Nikola Corp.’s announcement Tuesday that it would begin selling its new Nikola Tre truck in Colorado through Wagner Equipment Co. Colorado Energy Office Director Will Toor and Colorado Department of Transportation Office of Innovative Mobility Chief Kay Kelly on Tuesday joined officials from Nikola, Wagner Equipment and the Colorado Motor Carriers Association to hail the arrival of the electric big rigs. A Nikola Tre truck, on display at the Capitol Tuesday, is a fully battery-electric vehicle offering a range of up to 350 miles. Beginning in 2023, Wagner will also include the Nikola Tre hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles as part of its portfolio of trucks. “Colorado recently released a draft Clean Truck Strategy, which is among the most comprehensive plans in the U.S. to build and scale the market for zero emission trucks,” Toor said. “This strategy will reduce air pollution in our most vulnerable and polluted corridors across the state and help us achieve our climate goals. The strategy includes ambitious plans to transition to zero-emissions electric and hydrogen trucks and buses. It’s great to see the Nikola Tre here today as a real-world example of an electric heavy-duty truck.” Medium-and-heavy-duty vehicles like tractor-trailers represent less than 10% of all the vehicles on the road but are responsible for 22% of on-road transportation greenhouse gas emissions as well as ozone precursors. “It’s exciting to see zero emission products entering the heavy-duty market,” Kay Kelly, chief of innovative mobility at the Colorado Department of Transportation, said. “The growing number of zero-emissions offerings in the medium and heavy-duty truck market are giving Colorado fleets more opportunity than ever before to choose clean, quiet trucks with lower operation and maintenance costs. Colorado’s comprehensive Clean Truck Strategy will further develop the supportive ecosystem necessary for fleets to be successful in deploying these compelling new products.” Colorado’s Clean Truck Strategy would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from medium-and-heavy-duty vehicles by at least 45% in Colorado by 2050. “Nikola applauds the state of Colorado for working to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with transitioning fleets to zero-emissions,” Elizabeth Fretheim, Nikola’s global head of sustainability and social responsibility, said. “As a company dedicated to the advancement of innovative zero-emissions truck solutions and the energy infrastructure required to make this feasible, we especially appreciate the focus on and recognition of the differences in the path forward for passenger cars versus medium- and heavy-duty trucks through the development of a specific Clean Truck Strategy.” Electric vehicles not only offer zero emissions, but also the potential of cost savings. Currently for a daily route of 300 miles in Colorado, the cost to electrically charge the Nikola Tre is around half the cost of diesel fuel for the same trip. Charging an electric vehicle for personal use costs the equivalent of about $1 a gallon. In the last three months of 2021, Colorado saw record-breaking EV sales; electric vehicles accounted for nearly 13% of new light-duty vehicle registrations in December. This precipitous increase puts the state on a trajectory to meet its 2030 targets: 940,000 light-duty EVs and at least 1,000 zero-emissions transit buses by 2030. The state is also leading by example, electrifying state facilities and setting the stage for the delivery of dozens of new electric state fleet vehicles in 2022 and 2023.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On a rain-soaked Interstate 40 Tuesday, Convoy co-founder Grant Goodale rode shotgun inside an 18-wheeler enroute to the Mid-America Truck Show (MATS) in Louisville, Kentucky. MATS begins on Thursday in Louisville, and Goodale and his company plan a large presence there. For Goodale, the experience in getting to Louisville is more than just a publicity stunt. The executive with one of the nation’s largest digital freight networks said the goal is to get to know drivers and experience the issues they face firsthand. That’s why he is riding along in several different big rigs to Louisville from Dallas instead of flying. Tuesday’s leg of the journey brought him into the cab of driver Jacinda Duran of Blackburn Energy. She’ll take him as far as Nashville, where he’ll meet up with another driver to get to Louisville. In a Facebook post prior to their run together, Duran said that she is “honored” to have Goodale on board. The past year has been an exceptionally challenging period of time for our nation’s truck drivers. The pandemic, and now skyrocketing fuel prices tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have added to the difficulties of an average driver’s day. On Tuesday during a phone interview with The Trucker, Goodale said he already has a newfound appreciation for truck drivers. “I’m starting to see the challenges, and it’s eye-opening,” Goodale said. Goodale added that he hopes the knowledge he gains along his trip will allow him to better manage his business and be better able to understand solutions when problems arise. “Truck drivers are a vital part of our nation, and it’s important to know and understand what they go through on a daily basis,” Goodale said. “That’s why I’m out here.”  

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index was unchanged in February after increasing 0.4% in January. In February, the index equaled 115.3 (2015=100) the same as January. “February was the first month that the index didn’t increase since July,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Despite a string of gains, the index is still off 1.8% from March 2020. The index is also off 4.2% from the all-time high in August 2019. It is important to note that ATA’s data is dominated by contract freight, not spot market. “Demand for trucking freight services remains strong, but for-hire contract carriers are capacity constrained due to the driver and equipment markets. The spot market has been surging as these carriers can’t haul all of the freight they are asked to move,” he said. “So the fact that the tonnage index hasn’t fully recovered is a supply problem, not a lack of demand. Other ATA data shows that for-hire carriers are operating around 7% fewer trucks, both company and independent contractor equipment, than prior to the pandemic.” January’s increase was revised down slightly from our February 22 press release. Compared with February 2021, the SA index increased 2.4%, which was the sixth straight year-over-year gain and the largest over that period. In January, the index was up 0.9% from a year earlier. In 2022, year-to-date and compared with same period in 2021, tonnage was up 1.7%. The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 104.3 in February, 4.3% below the January level (109). In calculating the index, 100 represents 2015. ATA’s For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index is dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot market freight. Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing 72.5% of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled 10.23 billion tons of freight in 2020. Motor carriers collected $732.3 billion, or 80.4% of total revenue earned by all transport modes. ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. This is a preliminary figure and subject to change in the final report issued around the 5th day of each month. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons, and key financial indicators.    

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has extended the comment for its proposal to amend the transportation industry drug testing program procedures regulation to include oral fluid testing. The original comment period would have ended March 30, but it has now been extended by 30 days to April 29. “The extension is granted in response to request received from stakeholders, who have stated the March 30 closing date does not provide sufficient time for them to prepare and submit comments to the docket,” DOT officials said in a news release. On Feb. 28 DOT published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the public register that proposed amending its transportation industry drug-testing program. “The proposal includes provision to update DOT’s regulation and to harmonize, as needed, the new Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs using oral fluid established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” the news release stated. In addition to adding oral fluid as a drug testing method, DOT also proposed to clarify certain part 40 provisions that cover urine drug testing procedures, to remove provisions that are no longer necessary, to add clarifying language to other provision and to update provisions to reflect issues that have arisen in recent practice. DOT is not proposing to eliminate urine testing; rather, oral fluid testing will be an alternative. The public is asked to submit comments by one of the following means: Online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal By mail to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, West Building Ground Floor Room W12-140, Washington, D.C. 20590-0001 Hand delivery to the West Building Ground Floor, Room W-12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329 To ensure proper docketing of your comment, please include the agency name and docket number of DOT-OST-2021-0093 or Regulatory Identification Number of 2105-AE94. All comments received, including personal information provided, will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov. All members of the public are invited to submit comments.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Attendee registration and housing are now open and available for the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) 2022, the largest annual trade show dedicated to the heavy-duty trucking industry. The show returns to the Kentucky Expo Center and will be held March 24-26. “Building on the success of the previous show, the MATS 50th experience will have more education, exhibits, special events and entertainment than ever before,” a news release stated. A detailed list of registration, hotel information, and the most up to date schedule can be found at www.truckingshow.com. “We intend to set a new standard for trucking industry events,” said MATS President Toby Young. “We’ve developed new in-person experiences that will reconnect the entire trucking industry through face-to-face interactions that will educate and entertain. Some experiences include a new expanded education program (MATS Pro Talks Seminar Series) with twice as many seminars and product demonstrations, more outdoor events including a larger-than-ever 30th Anniversary PKY Truck Beauty championship, a MATS 50th anniversary celebration and ceremony on the opening night that will include live music, drinks and an interactive history display with the MATS Wall of Fame and other immersive experiences.” MATS attendees can also expect to experience other long-standing events, such as the MATS Friday night concert, along with five exhibit halls, including more than one million square feet of exhibits. “MATS 50th will reconnect the entire trucking industry through our shared history and provide a platform for industry leaders to define the future,” the news release stated. For more information about how to register and book a hotel for the show, please visit www.truckingshow.com/registration and www.truckingshow.com/where-to-stay.

LAS VEGAS — The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) announced Saturday that it has registered as an apprenticeship sponsor with the U.S. Department of Labor. As a recognized sponsor at the national level, TCA can now provide its member companies the ability to offer apprenticeships to job applicants while TCA and its partner FASTPORT — a U.S. Department of Labor intermediary specializing in transportation and logistics — administers the program for the participating companies. “TCA recognizes the critical role of professional truck drivers and their steadfast commitment to the movement of much-needed goods,” TCA President John Lyboldt said. “This program further solidifies TCA’s support of our essential workforce and their professionalism, dedication, and discipline.” “This program will help to fill the ever-growing void the trucking industry continues to grapple with, in time – being short more than 80,000 drivers,” TCA Chairman Jim Ward said. “Well-rounded training and a clear career path will elevate the commercial driver job as we know it.” For more information on federally-recognized apprenticeships, visit www.apprenticeship.gov.