Arkansas Trucking Association

Ongoing shortages of replacement parts for failed diesel exhaust fluid quality sensors are believed to be causing thousands of trucks nationwide to be disabled and parked.

The sensors, which measure the quality and level of diesel exhaust fluid in the tank, are part of the global computer chip shortage, causing a backlog and rising the price of available parts from around $300 to as much as $7,000. Failure of the DEF sensor can result in the vehicle being inoperable. More than a million engines, representing more than 40 engine families (since 2016) could be affected.

On Sept. 16, dozens of safety-minded organizations launched a national coalition aimed at reducing the deadly threat of distracted driving on the nation’s highways. The National Distracted Driving Coalition, governed by a 100-member steering committee, plans to act as a central clearinghouse for local and state safety groups to promote national, innovative and collaborative approaches to shed light on and pursue legislation on talking and texting on cellphones, among other distractions.

The Federal Reserve indicated it may start raising its benchmark interest rate sometime next year, earlier than it envisioned in June. In a statement, the Fed also said it will likely begin slowing the pace of its monthly bond purchases "soon" if the economy keeps improving. These changes potentially signal that high inflation pressures will persist and that the economy has recovered from the recession.