Hello all,

 Until last week, I did not know a thing about “glider trucks.”

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper changed that when he reported late last week that the Environmental Protection Agency had quashed a last-minute change from outgoing secretary Scott Pruitt.

Pruitt had not been on Carper’s holiday gift list, with the senator cranking  out release after release taking issue with his actions.

The rule that came as Pruitt was leaving the building allowed more glider trucks to move into fleets, after a previously announced  EPA crackdown.

The term “glider trucks” comes from a  workaround that uses new trucks sans engines. Kit makers then drop in old engines, saving a lot of money over old trucks with new engines.

 Gliders  had been allowed as a way to aid truckers who lost their rigs from crashes that kept the engine intact  The exemption made sense as long as the number of trucks getting the glider treatment was limited.

On his way out, Pruitt had other ideas

Based on figures from the EPA  the dirtier diesel engines are a disaster when it comes to emissions by throwing  40 to 50 times more pollution.

Glider  makers  that have boosted production past 10,000 trucks a year from hundreds prior to tougher clean air standards that came several years ago. 

The dirty trucks  have an  impact  on busy routes like I-95, a  corridor long blamed for high cancer rates in northern Delaware.

Carper may  get some flak for taking on the gliders, but in this case, he is correct in stopping creative and sketchy efforts to skirt emissions standards.

Have a great  Tuesday.. The newsletter returns tomorrow. – Doug Rainey, publisher.