Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Impacts on Trucking
Around 1:30am on Tuesday, March 26th, the Dali (cargo ship) hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge causing the bridge to collapse.
The ship, carrying 4,900 containers, departed from the Port of Baltimore at 1:00am and was just 30 minutes into its route to Sri Lanka before the collapse occurred, several news outlets reported.
The Port of Baltimore has since closed inbound and outbound vessel traffic, but truck operations at terminals inside the port would continue, per reports. There is no clear timeline for when the port will reopen.
The port is the top U.S. port for volume of autos and light trucks.
“Nearly 4,900 trucks travel the bridge each day, with $28 billion in goods crossing every year,” Sean McNally, VP of Public Affairs and Press Secretary for the American Trucking Associations told FleetOwner.
He continued, “trucks moving hazardous materials will now be subject to roughly 30 miles of detours around the city of Baltimore because they are prohibited from using the city’s tunnels.” This will add extra time, fuel, money, and delays for those going through the area.
Commerce Express extends our thoughts to all those involved in this tragedy.
U.S. EPA Releases Truck Emissions Standards, Trucking Industry Reacts
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released their final rule for “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3”. This relates to companies that manufacture, sell, or import into the United States new heavy-duty highway vehicles and engines.
The EPA says these new regulations – which take effect for model years 2027 and 2032 – will avoid up to 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next three decades and provide $13 billion in net benefits in the form of fewer hospital visits, lost work days and deaths.
Reaction from the trucking industry –
“ATA opposes this rule in its current form because the post-2030 targets remain entirely unachievable given the current state of zero-emission technology, the lack of charging infrastructure, and restrictions on the power grid,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said about these emission standards.
“The industry has effectively reduced NOx and particulate matters through the evolution and implementation of new technologies and remains committed to being a good steward of the environment,” says President of Truckload Carriers Association, Jim Ward.
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