Republicans in Congress call on EPA to expedite DEF sensor fix

Another lawmaker in Washington, D.C., is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to take action on replacement diesel exhaust fluid sensors.

Citing a global microchip shortage, Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., wants the EPA to approve a software solution.

“In the United States, on any given day upwards of 10,000 trucks may be disabled due to DEF sensor-related issues,” Hagedorn’s letter states.

The letter, signed by nine other Republican members of Congress, urges the agency to act quickly on a software update that would allow trucks that are waiting on replacement DEF sensors to get back on the road.

The 10 representatives who signed the letter:

• Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn.
• John Rose, R-Tenn.
• Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.
• Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn.
• Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn.
• Tom Emmer, R-Minn.
• Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn.
• Pete Stauber, R-Minn.
• David Kustoff, R-Tenn.
• Mark Green, R-Fla.

The letter also notes that DEF sensors can “derate” a truck, forcing them to slow down to 5 miles an hour, creating potentially dangerous situations.

“This prevents the affected truck from hauling freight, and if an over-the-road commercial vehicle is derated while under load, then a potentially unsafe situation is created for the driver, other travelers, the shipper and/or receiver, and the insurance company responsible for the load,” the letter states.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association thanked Hagedorn and his colleagues for their support.

“OOIDA appreciates Rep. Hagedorn’s efforts to keep EPA moving quickly to implement critical solutions to the shortage of DEF sensors for heavy vehicles,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “Our members only make money when the wheels of their trucks are moving. Any problem that limits their ability to operate is not only costly, but could threaten the viability of a small trucking business.”

Hagedorn’s letter comes a few weeks after one of his colleagues in the Senate raised an alarm about the DEF sensor issue.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., sent a similar letter on Monday, Oct. 18, to EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, asking for relief to be provided to truckers and motor carriers. Chip shortages and supply chain disruptions have left truckers unable to repair their trucks when the DEF component fails.

“I write to express regarding the unavailability of replacement DEF sensors for American truckers,” Blackburn wrote. “As you know, the global microchip shortage is causing extreme hardship for trucking companies. I urge the Environmental Protection Agency to redouble its efforts to facilitate and approve a software concern solution to quell this dire situation. Time is of the essence.”

OOIDA also issued a Call to Action to its members in support of Blackburn’s letter. LL