CARB to Truckers: Be a “Smooth” Operator or Pay Up

By Octavian Lacatusu

SACRAMENTO, CA — Starting Jan. 1, California-bound carriers without SmartWay-verified aerodynamic devices on their trailers could face $1,000-a-day fines, courtesy of the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

That’s right. A grand a day, beginning in the New Year.

It all started back in December, 2008, when CARB introduced the regulation aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and improving fuel efficiency by legislating aerodynamic devices on heavy-duty tractors pulling 53-foot or longer box-type trailers, including dry-van and refrigerated-van trailers.

Randy Rhondeau, CARB’s air pollution specialist, said fleets and owner operators who travel into California must have aerodynamic devices to meet the four- to five-percent requirement — unless they registered with CARB on a phase-in option (which provides an alternate compliance schedule).

During an interview with the transportation PR experts TruckPR.com, Rhondeau commented the fines could be quite unforgiving for not only the carrier, but the driver as well.

“If you’re pulled over for non-compliance, the owner of the tractor-trailer can be cited $1,000 per day,” Rhondeau said. “The driver of the tractor-trailer is not off the hook either – that person can be fined $1,000 a day as well.”
For repeat “egregious” offenders, Rhondeau added that fines could increase to a staggering $10,000 a day instead of just $1,000.

CARB says the regulation is designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by approximately one million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalents by 2020, statewide.

Meantime, aerodynamic device manufacturers are virtually lining up to help you run compliant.

“Aerodynamic retrofitting in carrier fleets has been going on for the last 18 months, with trailers already being deployed into the field to meet the CARB requirements,” says Brian Layfield, whose Oakville, ON-based Laydon Composites makes collapsible air fairings, universal deflectors, trailer fairings and vortex stabilizers for tractors and trailers.

Other aftermarket manufacturers of these devices include:

FreightWing; Carrier Transicold; Aerodynamic Trailer Systems (ATS); AeroVolution; Transtex; Ridge Corp.; Silver Eagle; Utility Trailer; ATDynamics; SmartTruck; Strehl; Wabash and Windyne.

For his part, Layfield says there’s a new fix available, and remarkably unique as opposed to the more familiar side-skirts.

Laydon has just introduced the SmartWay-verified “Skirt 225”, a.k.a “wishbone.”

“It’s a single panel that runs down the center of the trailer and then it flares out to meet the first set of trailer wheels. It’s seven-to-900 dollars so it’s the least expensive and the quickest install for 53-foot trailers,” he said, adding that on average, it takes about two to three hours to install, depending on the tractor-trailer size and device.

Though the increase in fuel efficiency from better air flow is required by law, it’s also beneficial, Layfield said, especially with the price of fuel tipping over $4 dollars a gallon in the U.S.

Also, as listed on the CARB website, here are the requirements of the regulation and deadlines:
For tractors subject to the regulation:

• 2011 and newer model year sleeper-cab tractors that pull affected trailers had to be SmartWay certified, beginning January 1, 2010.

• 2011 and newer day-cab tractors that pull affected trailers must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires, beginning January 1, 2010

• All 2010 and older tractors that pull affected trailers must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires beginning January 1, 2013

For trailers subject to the regulation:

• 2011 and newer 53-foot or longer box-type trailers must, beginning January 1, 2010, be either SmartWay certified or Retrofitted with SmartWay verified technologies, as follows: Low rolling resistance tires, Aerodynamic devices

• 2010 and older 53-ft or longer box-type trailers (with the exception of certain 2003 to 2009 refrigerated-van trailers) must meet the same aerodynamic device requirements as 2011 and newer trailers either: by January 1, 2013, or according to a compliance schedule based on fleet size which allows them to phase-in their compliance over time.

• 2010 and older trailers must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires by January 1, 2017.

• 2003 to 2009 refrigerated-van trailers equipped with 2003 or newer transport refrigeration units have a compliance phase-in between 2017 and 2019.

Who is not affected by the regulation?

Military tactical vehicles

Curtain side vans

Authorized emergency vehicles

Solid waste vehicles

Drayage tractors and trailers that operate within a 100-mile radius of a port or intermodal rail yard

Drop frame vans

Container chassis

 


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