Last week during the White House Great American Agriculture Celebration, President Trump announced that the administration would be making changes to the Diesel Exhaust Fluid system through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to the Agency, these changes include removing the DEF sensor requirement for all diesel equipment and according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, this change will save farmers $4.4 Billion per year.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said, “Failing DEF systems are not an east coast or west coast or heartland issue; it is a nationwide disaster. I have heard from truck drivers, farmers, and many others complaining about DEF and pleading for a fix in all 50 states I visited during my first year as EPA Administrator. Americans are justified in being fed up with failing DEF system issues. EPA understands this is a massive issue and has been doing everything in our statutory power to address this. Today, we take another step in furthering our work by removing DEF sensors. Farmers and truckers should not be losing billions of dollars because of repair costs or days lost on the job.”
According to the Agency, “In August 2025, EPA issued new, clear guidance calling on engine and equipment manufacturers to revise DEF system software in existing vehicles and equipment to massively reverse deratements that harm farmers and truckers. In response to this guidance, manufacturers have started making this new and improved software available to Americans in some existing vehicles and will be extending the improvements to owners of older equipment. In the near future, EPA will also be issuing a new deregulatory proposal that will completely remove all DEF deratements for new vehicles and engines. With these changes, sudden speed losses, which compromise safety and productivity, will be an issue of the past.”
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.