EPA Helps Owner-Operators Retrofit 300 Trucks

About 300 independent truckers in the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association who operate in parts of the central and southwestern U.S. will be able to tap a $1 million federal grant to help pay for idle-reduction equipment.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it awarded the money to OOIDA, in Grain Valley, Mo., to help fund a project that could put auxiliary power units on about 300 long-haul trucks. With APUs, drivers can turn off their diesel engines during idle times at terminals or rest areas and still operate air conditioners or other accessories.

An EPA spokesman said the grant money can cover 40 percent of an APU’s cost while the trucker pays 60 percent. The agency said the project’s total cost can top $2.6 million.

To qualify for funding through the independent drivers’ trade group, the trucks must operate in the EPA’s Regions 6 and 7, which include the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Truckers will need to apply to OOIDA for the grant, and will be selected competitively, the agency spokesman said.

-- Contact John D. Boyd at jboyd@joc.com.