Freight Pulse & Law Update: Paccar's MX-13 Injector Case Heads to Trial as Record Diesel Pushes Freight Onto Rail

What does the Paccar ruling mean for truck buyers?

The Oct. 1 ruling lets warranty claims proceed toward an October 2027 trial; it does not decide whether the engines are defective. Check injector service history and keep repair and downtime records.

• The proposed class includes 30 companies and one individual with EPA 2021 MX-13 engines.

• Plaintiffs allege injector deposits caused knocking, vibration and engine derates. One plaintiff reports 19 repair visits and 110 days of downtime across five trucks.

• Paccar extended injector coverage to 10 years or 435,000 miles. Plaintiffs question whether the “Pack 2” replacement injector, selectively available since about June 2024, is a permanent fix.

Read Land Line and Trucks, Parts, Service. Treat warranty length and lasting repair as separate questions. CVSA Brake Safety Week, Aug. 23–29, 2026, remains a useful equipment-readiness benchmark.

Why is diesel pushing freight onto rail?

Record diesel is changing the truck-versus-rail calculation. Reuters reported a September AAA average of $6.53 per gallon and Q3 intermodal growth at Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern, while noting that higher fuel costs also pressure rail margins.

• Q3 intermodal volumes rose 13% at Union Pacific, 7% at CSX and 3% at Norfolk Southern year over year.

• Suitable long-haul freight may shift to rail, but the mode change does not erase fuel exposure.

Reuters’ report details the shift.

What does the PPI print mean for shippers?

September’s producer-price data shows transportation costs repricing much faster than warehousing. Review freight plans and storage commitments together, not as separate cost lines.

TIA’s Freight on the RADAR reported final-demand PPI up 6.3% year over year, No. 2 diesel up 115.2%, truck freight prices up 19.3%, and warehousing prices up 2.5%.

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