At least twice a week, it seems that a different state, nonprofit group or federal agency is coming out with a new grant program offering reimbursements for truck equipment upgrades.

Existing state programs have received additional funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other new funding sources, and some new programs have emerged.

To keep the variety of federal, state, nonprofit and other grants straight, Land Line has compiled its own grant opportunity list by working from information from the Department of Energy and the EPA, as well as talking to many state and non-profit agencies directly.

The list is available by clicking here.

Because the list of programs and eligible funding is fluid, this list will constantly be changing and almost certainly will need updating. If you know of a grant program that isn’t on this list or about list information that should be updated, please e-mail charlie_morasch@landlinemag.com or kerry_evans-spillman@landlinemag.com to let us know.

Truck owners should be aware of grant opportunities and should apply when they’re eligible. Tom Weakley, Director of Operations for the OOIDA Foundation, says many truck owners are disappointed to learn that grant programs have strict regional work requirements or accept applications during very short time frames.

Weakley told Land Line Now that OOIDA applied to be a grant distributor this year for Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funds that came largely from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. OOIDA, he said, wasn’t selected because the association couldn’t tie new or preserved jobs to the funds.

Ironically, the ARRA funds couldn’t be spent, Weakley was told by federal officials, to meet emissions mandates like California’s reefer rule, or idling regulations in several states.

Many OOIDA members and small business trucking companies would have been helped and could have preserved jobs, Weakley argued, had they been eligible to spend grant money on reefer upgrades and other emissions equipment.

“Wasn’t this money supposed to stimulate the economy and keep people in business?” Weakley said. “ ‘Nope – it’s a mandate – they have to do it anyway,’ they said.”

Other ARRA-funded projects include cash-for-clunker provisions where existing truck engines are dismantled. Weakley said because many owner operators still have equity in their trucks, cash-for-clunker-like programs aren’t always beneficial.

Weakley still encourages truck owners to apply – as long as the equipment upgrade will pay off for them.

To obtain a reimbursement of up to 40 percent of the cost of buying and installing an APU, OOIDA members can obtain more information or apply for the Association’s grant program by calling 1-800-444-5791 or by clicking here.

– By Charlie Morasch, staff writer
charlie_morasch@landlinemag.com