Truck emissions under Trump: what changed and what didn’t

President Donald Trump has executed numerous actions that directly affect truck emissions since returning to office in January, including those related to California, DEF and DPFs. What do these changes do? More importantly, what do they not do?

It has been only less than a year into Trump’s second term. Yet years’ worth of environmental policies targeting truck emissions are either completely gone or on the chopping block.

Although this has been good news for the trucking industry, the rapid pace of developments has left many truck drivers confused. Let’s break down what has happened and what it all means for truckers.

Rumor: Any truck can now operate in California FALSE

Multiple California truck emission rules are no longer valid. Does that mean any and every truck can now operate in the Golden State?

At the tail end of the last White House administration, the California Air Resources Board cleared several truck emission rules. Those include Advanced Clean Trucks and the Omnibus Low NOx regulation.

The Advanced Clean Trucks rule required an increasing percentage of truck manufacturers’ Class 7-8 truck sales to be zero-direct-emission trucks. Meanwhile, the Omnibus rule set stricter truck emission standards for truck engines.

While those rules fell directly on the manufacturers, the trucking industry would shoulder the costs. Truck drivers would likely have had to buy either a zero-emission truck or a diesel truck at an inflated price.

In June, Trump signed a set of resolutions that killed CARB’s rules. With those rules gone, purchasing a new truck in California is back to business as usual.

That’s pretty much the only change in California.

Rules dictating which trucks are allowed to operate in California remain in place. Yes, that means the Clean Truck Check.

For nearly three years, any truck operating in California must be registered and pass an emission test. Essentially, if your truck doesn’t have a 2010 or newer engine, it’s not allowed in California.

Bottom line: If you couldn’t drive in California before this year, you still can’t today.

Rumor: Trump ended DEF FALSE

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to roll back 15 years’ worth of truck emission regulations. Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) requirements are not among them.

In July, the EPA announced a rulemaking that would withdraw the 2009 endangerment finding. Many truck emission regulations implemented since 2010 hinge on that one document.

Since that announcement, there has been a lot of chatter about what that means for DEF. Long story short: DEF isn’t going anywhere … for now.

Once the endangerment finding is officially withdrawn, it does not automatically invalidate every rule and regulation that cites it. It may open the door to nullifying certain regulations, but that will require another set of actions.

While the EPA did not eliminate DEF, it is trying to make the technology less burdensome.

In August, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin issued guidance for truck and engine manufacturers to update DEF software. Specifically, the EPA strongly urged manufacturers to reconfigure the derating schedule that prevents trucks from suddenly shutting down.

Guidance is not enforceable, but manufacturers are on board since they helped create it. New inducement schedules apply to only model year 2026 trucks and older. Schedules for newer trucks that go into effect next year will stay the same.

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/SCR system.

“More flexible inducement speeds and times will help truckers finish their trips, plan for necessary maintenance and avoid parking their truck for an extended period simply because of a false alarm,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “Nonsensical inducement rules have sidelined small-business truckers for too long, and this accelerated relief shows what can be achieved when regulators hear directly from the people doing the job. We look forward to continued engagement with Administrator Zeldin and his staff to implement additional emissions solutions that better reflect the realities of trucking.”

There is a bill that would exempt some trucking operations from DEF requirements. Introduced by Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., the Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act would provide a year-round exemption for trucks that operate primarily in cold climates. Neither the House nor the Senate version has received any traction so far.

Bottom line: DEF isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but trucks won’t shut down without plenty of warning now.

Rumor: Truckers can now delete DPF FALSE

Trump pardoned a diesel mechanic sentenced for tampering with diesel particulate filters (DPF). That means it is no longer illegal, right?

Wrong.

While it is true that Trump did pardon Troy Lake, who had spent seven months in federal prison for deleting DPFs, tampering with truck emission controls is still illegal. A pardon forgives criminal convictions. It does not erase the conviction itself, let alone the crime in its entirety.

Like DEF systems, the EPA’s current rulemaking on the 2009 endangerment finding has no direct effect on DPFs. That includes the requirement and ban on tampering with them.

However, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., has introduced a bill that could change all of that. The Diesel Truck Liberation Act would end the prosecution of anyone tampering with DEF/DPF systems. It would also vacate existing related sentences. That bill also has not picked up any support.

Bottom line: Tampering with DPFs is still a federal crime. LL