California will impose stricter pollution laws, as the commercial vehicle industry has known for years. The window of opportunity for fleets operating in the West is closing. The California Air Resources Board established the Clean Truck Check program in December 2021 with the goal of ensuring that emissions control systems in commercial vehicles function as intended and are promptly fixed when they don't.
Bill Hathaway, chief product officer for Noregon, a provider of heavy-duty diagnostic tools and software, explained that the Board is enacting a new emissions regulation that will require all non-gasoline heavy-duty vehicles with a Class 4 gross weight rating of 14,000 lbs. or higher to pass an emissions inspection in order to operate in California. At the end of the year, it is scheduled to take effect. Truck operators can register their vehicles in the database and pay the $30 compliance fee on the website that CARB developed in October as part of its preparations.
Hathaway highlighted that the rule applies to any truck meeting those requirements that operate in California, even if it is registered out-of-state. The first inspections start in July 2024. Fleets outside of California that intend to enter the state on or after July 2024 must register and pay the $30 charge in order to remain in compliance. CARB will initially demand that these trucks undergo two annual inspections.
A certified diagnostic scan may perform these assessments on engines from 2013 model year vehicles and newer. Visual checks are necessary for equipment that is older than 2013. The frequency of both forms of inspection shall be twice annually, with the frequency increasing to four times annually in 2026 for vehicles manufactured in 2013 or later.
This year, CARB started its enforcement efforts early by sending out letters to drivers to submit to testing and sending out screeners to look for vehicles that may have high emissions. The deadline for these potential high emitters to replace or update their vehicles, confirm their compliance, register in the database, and pay the compliance fee is January 2024.
Fleets that exclusively operate in the Midwest or East would be inclined to overlook California's new scheme, but if other states imitate the program, understanding how it functions could be crucial to their operations. According to Noregon Product Manager Lee Lackey, there are currently 16 states that have either adopted or are in the process of adopting California's stringent emission standards. Lackey cited eastern states that struggle with air pollution, such as New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, saying, "It's a definite possibility." "But there's also some Western states like Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico."
If this happens, Lackey emphasized that all fleets need to be well-versed in California's procedures to adjust to the specifics of other states' inspection systems and their various submission and technical criteria.
A trained technician or device must conduct digital or physical inspections for a vehicle to be recorded as compliant under the Clean Truck Check program. This includes a smokestack test for high particulate matter for vehicles older than 2013. However, the procedure is more streamlined for digital exams.
"You'll hook up the computer via an adapter or another device, and then the inspection will proceed, and generally, it's going to take less than five minutes to do," Lackey said. "That inspection can be done via an adapter or a telematics device." In addition, according to Hathaway, Oregon is collaborating with CARB to create a certified inspection application that will enable technicians to submit and receive a vehicle's results quickly.”
After that, CARB might provide stickers to indicate that a car has completed its inspections, but this still needs to be confirmed. However, if a car fails the test, the CARB reports won't state why, leaving the technician to find and fix the problem. Lackey encouraged technicians to follow common sense procedures before filing inspection reports to avoid submitting duplicate reports. This includes making sure that the attending technician is certified under the program.
Fortunately, if the technician and their telemetry equipment are certified, the same shop that conducted the inspection can also repair the problematic car. Shops and fleets can certify technicians by requiring their staff to complete a Tester Training Course offered by CARB and pass the exam. The technician will then be given a certificate and added to the organization's system for manual and electronic certifications. Lackey and Hathaway stated that although they had yet to hear of any certified uses for testing devices, some aftermarket suppliers' products had.
The Truck Check Program sticker for vehicles registered in California will be determined by registration and any associated non-compliance fines. "If the truck's registered in the state, then California has indicated that they're going to block the registration for the vehicle when it comes up for renewal," Hathaway said.
However, roadside inspections will serve as the principal means of enforcement for CARB's program for trucks registered outside of California, including those imported from other nations. Contrary to popular belief, CARB does not aim to penalize vehicles for occurrences beyond their control, such as breakdowns that could harm their after-treatment systems, just because the program has stringent standards. According to Lackey, the act contains wording that enables fleets to ask for program relief due to labor and part availability, extending the amount of time they have to examine and fix their vehicle.
The Clean Truck Check program has exclusions and exceptions, just like any other rule. Zero-emission vehicles, emergency vehicles like firetrucks and ambulances, tactical military vehicles, and vehicles with a permanent historical license plate are all excluded from the future law in California. Operators won't have to worry about maintaining their certification during times of emergency or disaster, and gas engines are covered by the Bureau of Automotive Repair's additional smog check program. Finally, for the program's first four years of existence, vehicles certified under the 2027 EPA regulations won't need to pass it. Reefer trailers are an unexpected exception as well.
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