Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/319866
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 27 T he California Air Resources Board last month voted to amend some of its emissions regulations deadlines, giving new alternatives to owner-operators and small fleets that were unable financially to comply with the original rule. Final versions of the amendments will be produced within the next few months and will have a 15-day public comment pe- riod, after which CARB will put them into effect. The vote came a day after the board heard more than five hours of testimony from fleet representatives and owner-oper- ators, with some speaking for the amend- ments and some speaking against. Key changes implemented by the amendments include: Loan denial extension: For owners of three or fewer trucks who were denied a loan, the board voted to allow operation of those trucks as is – without a filter – if the owners make a commitment to buy a new truck or have a particulate matter filter in- stalled by December 2016. This differs from the original proposal, which would have allowed them to run noncompliant until Jan. 1, 2018, if they committed to buying a new truck and did not include the PM filter commitment option. NOx-exempt counties extension, ex- pansion: The amendments include a provi- sion to delay the PM filter retrofit deadline for trucks running only in NOx-exempt counties to Jan. 1, 2015; the previous dead- line was Jan. 1, 2014. They also add more counties to the list of NOx-exempt areas. Expanded credits: The changes will push back three years, from 2020 to 2023, the date by which truck owners must replace an older truck with a 2010 or later-year model truck and engine if they installed a PM filter on a truck with a 2006 model-year engine by Jan. 1, 2014. Extended phase-in deadlines for small fleets: Truck owners with three or fewer trucks now have an extra year to bring their second truck into compliance and an extra two years for their third truck. The board extended the phase-in deadlines for second and third trucks from Jan. 1, 2015, and Jan. 1, 2016, to Jan. 1, 2016, and Jan. 1, 2018, respectively. Low-use exemption changes: The low- use exemption requirements now include trucks that travel fewer than 5,000 miles in a year total, in California or otherwise, in addition to those that run 1,000 miles or fewer in California. – James Jaillet CARB's amendments include a provision to delay the particulate matter filter retrofit deadline for trucks running only in NOx-exempt counties to Jan. 1, 2015. Text INFO to 205-289-3554 or visit www.ccjdigital.com/info Enter Webasto's Race To Win Contest for NASCAR Tickets & VIP Experience with country singer, Chelsea Bain For complete contest details visit www.RaceToWinContest.com or call 855-637-8679. Scan for more info: Webasto's Race To Win Contest is open to legal residents of the United States, ages 21 or older holding a current, valid Class A Commercial Driver's License issued in any of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. Employees, distributors and their immediate families of Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America, their affiliates and subsidiaries are not eligible. No purchase necessary to enter to win. Prize is 2 tickets to select NASCAR races. All eligible entry forms must be submitted and received by 5:00 pm (EDT) on June 30, 2014. CARB extends emissions deadlines