a reply to:
Mantiss2021
Since the system "talks" to the truck's ECU, it should be possible to reprogram the ECU to "ignore" the DEF system input, a spin on VW's
"diesel-gate".
It is; it's called "deleting" the DEF system. Most owner-operators already do this once the truck is out of warranty (some just go ahead and void the
warranty; it's actually less expensive in the long run to deliver freight and pay for the repairs than to not deliver freight and not pay for
repairs). However, any time the truck is sent in for maintenance, they check to see if there is an ECU upgrade; if there is they upgrade the truck as
part of the standard service. That re-installs the DEF system and often occurs without the driver even being aware it happened. So now the driver has
to shell out a few thousand more bucks to get the thing deleted again. Maintenance happens about every 3-6 months, so that adds up pretty quick.
That maintenance is also required by USDOT.
The other problem is that company drivers, the ones who don't have the opportunity to make big bucks to cover themselves, cannot make any alterations
on the trucks. That's what's behind the driver shortage: no one is going to take a chance on spending a couple of months in BFE alone, eating stuff
that anyone else would consider unfit for a dog because they are broke, to hold a job that is hard, nasty, dangerous, keeps them away from their
families for weeks at a time, and pays just enough to call a decent wage.
The days of a driver hiring on to a company and pulling in big bucks are gone. Trucks are "castrated" now (speed limited), the logs are electronic,
and still dispatchers, shippers, and receivers think the drivers can get 1000 miles in 12 hours. A company driver is stuck between the demands of his
company and the demands of the DOT; if he listens to his company, he can get fined like he is some sort of money tree ($500 minimum, tens of thousands
of dollars maximum), and if he listens to the DOT he will either be fired or his miles reduced so low he can't make enough to eat well on the road.
People sign up for trucking with dollar signs in their eyes and the dream of the open road with no one griping at them. Then they find out that those
dollars are hard to come by and they are always the bad guy. Is it any wonder that they often quit and do something else before a year is up? Would
you put up with all that?
Perhaps, instead of derating the rig, legislation could be crafted to allow a rig to operate without the DEF system functioning, but the hours
run in DEF-less mode would be recorded by the rig's ECU, to be reported to authorities as the basis for some sort of tariff billed to the registered
owner (who would be free to try to pass the cost on to the customer).
That sounds good on paper, but here's the reality: trucking companies have huge lobbies. The extra cost wouldn't be passed to the company; it would be
passed to the driver.
Here's one example: I picked up a load of seed in South Dakota on a Friday (was driving flatbed at the time, 53' trailer with spread-axle tandems). I
got loaded, looked at the tires, and realized it looked like I was overloaded. I demanded the company take two bags off, thinking that would fix the
problem. They complained, but they did it. I then went directly to the first truck stop and weighed the truck. I was 50 pounds under maximum gross
weight (80,000 pounds) and had barely a quarter tank of fuel. I couldn't even fuel up to a half-tank without going over gross! Worse, the plant I
picked up at had closed, and wouldn't be open until Monday; the load was scheduled to deliver in Pennsylvania on Monday!
I called dispatch and told them about the problem. They said for me to run it as-is, keep my tank as close to 1/4 full as possible (in an attempt to
stay under gross), and if I got a ticket for overweight they would pay it. I made them send it on the Qualcomm so I would have a record and filled the
tank to 1/2 full.
I made it to Iowa that evening before DOT regs required a break. The only place left to park was a rest area shoulder; other trucks were using it, so
I decided to try it (some states *cough cough* Virginia *cough* *cough* will run the drivers out, forcing them to drive illegally). To my surprise, no
one bothered me that night. The next morning, though, the shoulder was PACKED with trucks. I did my pre-trip and managed to work my way out of the
spot and get back on the road.
I didn't expect Iowa weigh stations to be open on a Saturday, but guess what? They were. I pulled into the first one and stopped to be weighed. I
looked up at the digital readout and saw 80,150 pounds. Crap. Busted. A DOT officer walked up to my truck and asked "How are we doing today,
driver?"
I said "I was doing pretty good until I saw that" and pointed to the readout.
He chuckled and said for me to pull around back. He got my logs and bills, then proceeded to do a DOT inspection on the truck. One of my inside tires
on the trailer was flat; must have happened when I was cutting sharp to get out of the rest area, because it was fine during my pre-trip. So he writes
me a ticket (came to $500) and puts me out of service until I can get it repaired. I called dispatch and told them what happened. The bad part?
He
didn't write me up for being over gross! The company would have paid that ticket; the tire? Not so much. I was backcharged the ticket cost plus
the repair cost... and tire trucks don't work cheap in Iowa.
My company paid for the tire itself, but that left me with the service call. I made literally nothing that week.
That's the reality that drivers, especially company drivers, face every day. The idea of charging the owner might sound good, but it will not go down
that way.
Another problem is that company drivers will not be concerned about the DEF system since they are not the ones paying for it (assuming you can
overcome the last problem). So drivers will simply ignore the DEF and all the trucks will be running at the higher rate. That will send all freight
costs through the roof, and bring back that hyper-inflation.
The thing about the pollution issue is that trucks are already so heavily regulated that they are the least polluting vehicles on the road now.
Despite that black smoke (which is just carbon and will settle out the air within hours), trucks burn UL
SD (Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel) and they
have to be kept in top mechanical condition by law. Cars? Not so much... even in California, I see cars driving down the road blowing blue fog (they
only have to be inspected once a year, so they can drive 12 months with impunity). Personal vehicle drivers tend to rev motors, speed up to red
lights, drive aggressively, and that just wastes gas and adds more pollution. I have heard too many reports to remember from drivers during the height
of the lockdowns, when personal vehicles were scarce but trucks were running hard... every one of them say the air in LA was crystal clear during that
time.
Now the cars are back. I dare anyone to find a part of LA that isn't smoggy.
TheRedneck