We’re switching it up on The Road Forward as Flint, Matt, and your host Alex talk trucking. They gave their thoughts on some of the most recent headlines in trucking, covering some hot topics in the industry. 

The California Engine Ban

On Jan 1, 2023 California's ban on trucks with pre-2010 engines took effect. The thought behind this is to cut down on emissions and particulate matter, which is a bigger issue with older vehicles. Unfortunately the cost of doing business is already increasing, and this will only further the trend. 

“If California can ban it, they will.”

–Matt

Not only will this ban affect carriers with trucks registered in the state of California, but carriers in other states will not be able to travel within CA if their trucks have pre-2010 engines.

Read the full article here.

Colorado Refinery Shutdown

Suncor shut down one of its main oil refineries in Colorado on December 24, 2022. The reason given for the shutdown was that severe weather conditions caused damage to equipment at the facility. 

It is worth noting that refineries in general are losing in the public opinion due to climate concerns. Also, demand for fossil fuels is down at the moment, leading some to wonder if the shutdown was partly money-based. Companies like Suncor end up having a ‘natural monopoly’ due to the nature of the industry, and shutting down the refinery will no doubt result in higher fuel prices in CO. 

Read the full article here.

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CES & Autonomous Trucks

A controversial topic in the trucking community, we talked about autonomous trucks and how they could play a part in the industry in coming years. 

If autonomous trucks become more common, will drivers lose jobs? Matt believes it will be “an evolution of the driver role.” This is because even if a truck has self-driving capabilities, there would still be a need for human supervision. We’re also a long way from driverless trucks that can make deliveries in urban areas. In this way the concept of autonomous trucks can be compared more to how commercial airlines operate. While the pilot is always present, he likely is not manually flying the plane for the entire trip. With less chance of a driver getting fatigued or overworked, Flint mentioned that self-driving trucks could actually “get rid of the bad parts of being a truck driver.” 

For many years, the trucking industry was behind in many ways when it came to technology. Now it’s exciting to see new advancements, and that trucking is actually leading the way for other industries to follow. 

Read more about this year’s CES conference here. 

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