Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021:
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling approximately 105,183 model year 2019-2021 Freightliner Cascadia tractors due to a potential issue in the steering system, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
According to the recall, the drag link taper joint in the affected trucks may not have been tightened sufficiently and could come loose, resulting in a complete separation of the drag link from the steering arm. Separation of the drag link can cause complete loss of steering control.
DTNA dealers will inspect the drag link taper joint and repair it as necessary. Owners can contact DTNA's customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-900. NHTSA’s recall number is 21V-689.
Truck stop organization NATSO, fuel marketers organization SIGMA and representatives of the trucking and convenience store industries penned a letter to Congressional leaders asking for an extension of the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit in the upcoming budget reconciliation package. The groups also asked Congress to ensure tax parity for any new credits awarded for transportation fuels that compete for the same feedstocks.
The organizations specifically warned that more favorable tax treatment to other transportation fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), would increase diesel prices as well as carbon emissions, since SAF production is a less efficient process than renewable diesel and biodiesel production.
Any differential between the tax incentive for SAF and biodiesel or renewable diesel fuel would result in taxpayers paying more to realize less environmental benefits, the organizations said in a letter to House and Senate Leadership. The letter also was sent to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Finance Committee.
