EPA Supports the Right to Repair
One movement that has gained a lot of traction in the technology sphere is “right to repair”, and chances are you have heard about it here and there: conglomerates making it difficult to repair already bought equipment so as to make fixing more expensive or even impossible so that the original manufacturer can get additional sales of a product. The Trump Administration and its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is bringing this movement to the trucking industry.
Details
The EPA has issued guidance stating that recruitment manufacturers must provide independent repair shops and vehicle owners with the same emissions-related service information, tools, and training materials they make available to their dealers. This way, the dealerships and manufacturers do not get an unnecessary upper hand in knowing asymmetrical information that stifles competition and raises prices for the end user, namely, the truck owner.
What does this have to do with the environment? Under prior rules, replacement aftermarket parts had to be certified compliant with the Clean Air Act, a process that took well over a year from start to finish. Part of this guidance changes this requirement making it easier for more aftermarket parts to flood the market, although the EPA warns that using noncertified aftermarket parts may affect warranty coverage.
Additionally, the EPA announced that it will recognize the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s Certified-Emissions program to certify aftermarket parts, allowing the certification process to accelerate as opposed to taking a full year.
“This EPA recognition of the SEMA Certified-Emissions program by the EPA is nothing short of a pioneering action by the federal government to utilize private-public partnerships in service to industry regulatory compliance efforts,” said SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola in regards to the announcement. “We’re beyond pleased to continue to provide this service to aftermarket businesses so they can bring their innovative products to the market, and with a renewed certainty that our nation’s clean-air laws are being followed.”
Conclusion
So what does this all mean for you, the humble owner-operator/fleet owner? In a world where the age of the average truck is slowly but surely increasing, the ability to replace weathered parts at a fair price point is an invaluable asset to help the trucking industry keep costs low. Keep an eye open for an increase of aftermarket replacement parts in case your truck needs a new air conditioning unit or diesel exhaust fluid components.
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