The study was questioned by some, but a subsequent audit published in late July has concluded that it complied with standard practices. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Įngines built under the current EPA regulation known as EPA10 are much cleaner – 12.5 times for smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 10 times for particulate matter – than EPA02 engines.Ī 2017 study by the agency confirmed that glider trucks emit up to 55 times more soot and other pollutants, blamed for a range of diseases including lung cancer and asthma. Glider trucks are much more reliable, but they also pollute a lot, according to the U.S. “For example, if you have livestock in your trailer, you can’t be sitting at a dealership for two days with lots of cows on it. “Downtime is unacceptable, and with new trucks you can’t count on not being down,” said Battler. Jeff Battler with David Parker.ĭavid Parker, who has been driving that truck since it was assembled about four years ago, said the vehicle never had any problems while other rigs at TriCorp were frequently stricken by emissions-related issues. “This is the truck that put us on the map,” said Battler, pointing to a black rig owned by TriCorp Transportation. They say the systems fail too often, leading to extended and frequent downtime. Owners have long complained about the expensive and problem-ridden emission-control systems installed in new trucks. The glider kits – truck frames without engines, transmissions and drive axles – are purchased from original equipment manufacturers before being transformed into road-ready vehicles with refurbished powertrains that do not need to comply with strict emissions rules. The company, based in Guelph, Ont., assembles about 100 trucks a year, most of them for the American market.
All depends on the customer’s wish list,” said Jeff Battler, manager at 12Ga Customs, as he gave a final polishing touch to one of the rigs before the opening of the show. “It takes anywhere from three days to 2.5 months to assemble one. And, they were all remanufactured from glider kits. They had their own displaying area at the Great Canadian Truck Show in Millgrove, Ont. They came in gleaming red, purple and black.