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Update: 1. The reefer engine replacement is straightforward. Remove the old one, install the new CARB-complaint one. Bids are coming in $7,000+ including labor and tax. 2. The DPF retrofit for our Volvo engine was a shocker. This is a new component recently developed by Volvo for Volvo...

Interesting point. Leads me to wonder what the rule actually is. Does anyone have any more to offere regarding the actual reg?

I was not aware of the Smart Pass setting. Its existence validates concerns widely expressed by contractors who want to retain the ability to increase their speed to get out of certain situations. Clearly, such a setting would not exist if people had no such concerns. ------------------ "He...

We will be home all next week. I have extras there and will apply your and gotta go's fix then.

As I said above, I know nothing about what other states are doing if they are doing anything at all. We have carefully read the Minnesota info, found ourselves to be eligible and are proceeding with an application. Time will tell what happens after that.

AirTabs are a popular product with a number of expediters and I thank you for sharing the news here (I would not characterize gotta go's post as an ad or spam). Do you know if the new product is made to be more flexible than the old? That has been an issue previously discussed.

Just a note to add that there will likely be more applicants than there is money to spend. Going in, I fully understand that my application will be competing with those of some well-connected applicants who have good friends and long-cultivated relationships in the Capitol, not to mention...

It surprised me too that we are eligible for the grant since we drive in 48 states, but the language is clear. If cleaner-burn benefits of CARB-compliant engines and retrofits can be realized in metro areas and other sensitive places nationwide, the application will be considered. Truck stops...

In Minnesota, the program is administered by the Polution Control Agency, which is the state version of the federal EPA. I presume Michigan has a similar agency. People there would be the ones to contact. A quick phone call to your governor's office will probably get you a referral to the...

More good news! My Volvo dealer just got back to me regarding a retrofit diesel particulate filter. Volvo has developed one that can be installed on our truck. If awarded, the grant will cover 100% of that cost. The dealer will provide a part number with his bid. I can then go to two additional...

I don't know how the program plays out state by state. The money is coming from the federal government so I presume it is going to all states, but I have no knowledge of it. I also presume that states are able to put their own rules on the money within federal guidelines, but again, I have no...

Just got off the phone with my reefer dealer. The answer is yes, a CARB-compliant engine is available for our reefer and it is a direct swap. No modifications are needed other than the swap itself. Work on our grant application begins now. :)

If you need to change fuel filters frequently until the loosened crud clears, it is not a high-tech, mechanic-only job. If you are so inclined, you can save yourself some money by doing it yourself. If you do not know how, see if a mechanic will let you watch the next time you have it done. Once...

Out of curiosity, and since our acceptance percentage is no longer available on the Extranet, we called a little before the end of the fiscal year to see if we were in the running. Our safety, service and in-service numbers are at Four-Star levels. Run count was lower than prior years but...

While FedEx Custom Critical is not specifically mentioned in the promotional pieces, I'd bet even money that we will see some of these Cryoport shipments on FDCC trucks (vans and dry boxes too as reefer trucks are not needed for these). I don't think they will affect present reefer business one...

I won't have specifics until I talk to my Carrier dealer tomorrow but I wanted to share the news now (good news, I think). Via Twitter (that some dismiss as a waste of time), I learned from OOIDA (that some say does nothing for truckers), that Minnesota grant money is available that may make...

We have been buying most of our fuel at TA. No fuel filter problems here.

Preferring to focus on business more than politics, I almost never post here in the Soapbox. I do so today to create a space to talk California politics, in hopes of keeping my other California thread focused on business.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said yesterday that "California's day of reckoning is here." and "Our wallet is empty. Our bank is closed. Our credit is dried up." Like everyone else potentially affected by his proposed massive cuts, I immediately looked to see how Diane and I might be hit. Will...

Speaking of truck stop service, have you seen this from TA? Expedite King Rewards