VANCOUVER — A steady diet of CARB regulations could have California-bound truckers tightening their belts very soon as they swallow the costs to comply with tougher environmental rules.

They say that whatever rule they cook up in the staunchly "green" Golden State, usually ends up turning into a national standard somewhere down the road, so even if you’re not hauling south on the Pacific Highway, cross-border truckers might want to pay close attention.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB), a world leader of intertwining enviro regs, recently approved the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Regulation, which legislates a phased-in compliance schedule for the purchase and/or retrofit of fuel-efficient tractors and trailers, as well as reefer units.

Any truck heading into the state will have to comply with the regulation, regardless where they call home. The fines will likely be steep and it’s no secret the bankrupted state can use all the extra coin it can get these days.

The rules, some of which kick-in Jan. 1, 2010, will require tractors and any coupled 53-foot or longer box-type trailer to meet certain fuel-efficiency standards, including the use of aerodynamic technology and low-rolling resistance tires and a CARB-approved diesel particulate filter. 

At least it’s been a good year for fruit
crops because trucking into California is never a simple job.

More immediately, trucks that visit ports in California are required to be signed up with CARB’s drayage registry by Sept. 30. (Click here for more info on that front).

While many might not be enthusiastic about the related cost to comply, the British Columbia Trucking Association (BCTA) is at least satisfied the rules apply to everyone. 

"Everybody is on a level playing field," says Paul Landry, president and CEO of the BCTA, told Today’s Trucking. "If you want to do business there you have to make the investment and recoup the costs through freight rates."

And a large number of B.C. outfits are in the business of traveling to California. The I-5 runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean and touches both the Mexican and Canadian borders and is the main international route for B.C. truckers. The state is a big market for Canadian goods, and there is plenty of fresh produce for the return trip.

It’s so important that the BCTA has been lobbying the province to help carriers meet CARB regulations. BCTA is urging outreach, education, and some financial incentives from the government that would make it easier for truckers to voluntarily adopt fuel-saving technologies that suit their individual needs.

The association would also like to see the government make low-cost loans and grants to assist carriers in cutting fuel usage and make real GHG reductions — and in turn, comply with CARB regulations. 

"If you want to run in California, you have to follow California rules," says Landry. "We don’t want our carriers to have two fleets, one for California and one for the rest of North America, and I think they really understand the problem."

For tractors, 2011 and newer trucks with sleeper cabs must be SmartWay certified, beginning Jan. 1, 2010. Day cab tractors
that are 2011 and newer must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires beginning Jan. 1, 2010. 

All pre-2011 tractors that pull affected trailers must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires, beginning Jan. 1, 2012. For trailers, 2011 and newer 53-foot or longer box-type trailers must be either SmartWay certified or retrofitted with SmartWay verified technologies of either low rolling resistance tires or aerodynamic devices beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

Reefer trailers moving in and out of California have a different standard to live up to.

Trucks that haul reefers manufactured before 2001 now have until Dec. 31 to meet the state’s "In-Use Performance Standards," meaning they’ll require emission-control retrofits.

The rule was originally slated to take effect July 16, but enforcement was delayed because CARB said several thousand TRUs were "not in position to comply."

Like many of us know when embarking on a New Year’s resolution, it isn’t easy starting a CARB diet.