12-12) 19:29 PST SACRAMENTO -- One million diesel exhaust-spewing big rigs on California's roads face the nation's strictest emissions restrictions under rules adopted Friday by the state air board, a move officials say is needed to save thousands of lives but that some truck drivers fear will put them out of business.

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<!--/articlebox -->The regulations, approved one day after the California Air Resources Board's landmark vote to curb greenhouse gases, require all trucks and buses, whether or not they are registered in the state, to retrofit or replace their rigs starting in 2010.
Air board officials estimate the changes will cost the trucking industry $5.5 billion, causing some truckers to plead for financial assistance. They said they will offer truck owners $1 billion in help.
After hearing public comment for two days, the board voted unanimously in favor of the rule. Board Chair Mary Nichols said the decision was necessary because the trucking industry "has an enormous impact on the lives and health of the people of the state."
Air board officials estimate that the rule will save the lives of 9,400 people between 2011 and 2025. A related study by UC Berkeley and Harvard researchers concluded that truck drivers and dockworkers who breathe diesel soot on the job have higher rates of lung cancer and death than other workers.
During hearings Thursday and Friday, truck drivers and others concerned about their bottom line predicted dire economic consequences from the rules, while public-health advocates and air officials from around the state focused on people who suffer from asthma and other health risks associated with the pollution.
"This regulation is not something that you could do or should do, it's something you must do," said Bonnie Holmes-Gen, senior policy director for the American Lung Association of California.
But Doug Britton, who owns a Fresno County trucking company whose 10 trucks are 10 to 20 years old, said he is worried about whether he will be able to stay in business.
The cost of installing filters, which run about $12,000 per truck, and replacing old engines would "cause my debt to explode to 2 1/2 times the amount I've carried the last 20 years," Britton said. " That scares the heck out of me."
About 400,000 trucks are registered in the state, and about 500,000 from other states do business in California, according to the air board. The regulation applies to trucks that weigh more than 14,000 pounds, or those that are larger than a Ford F350 or GM 3500.
Truck owners would be required to install filters on their exhaust, and most would have to do so by 2014. Truckers also would have to replace their engines between 2o12 and 2022 or buy a new truck with an engine made with 2010 specifications. If a new or used replacement is not available, truckers will not have to buy a replacement.
Truckers who do not adhere to the rules could face fines of up to $1,000 per day per violation.
Air board officials said their top priority is public health, adding that failure to meet clean air standards in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California would put $2 billion in federal highway money at risk.
But the board agreed to let owners of small fleets, those with three or fewer trucks, wait until 2011 to comply with the new rules. The air agency will carry out an intensive campaign in the coming year to inform those owners of the new rules.The board also decided to let fleet owners delay retrofitting one vehicle for each one that is taken off the road.
Julie Sauls, spokeswoman for California Trucking Association, said the group will take a close look at the new rules and talk to its members.
The trucking industry offered an alternative plan, with different timelines, to ease some of the burden on truck drivers who could be saddled with vehicles they cannot legally drive or sell. But the board said the proposal did not meet the timeline for the federal requirements.
Air board members also voted to require people who drive their trucks long-distance to install more efficient tires and to outfit their rigs with aerodynamic features.
Board member Dr. John Balmes said after the vote that while the change might cost the industry more than $5 billion, the savings in public health costs are estimated at as much as $50 billion.
"It's a tough rule in a tough time, but there will be societal savings," he said.

 

So basically no matter where you live, if you plan on entering Cali you must have your rig fitted with said exhaust filters... Way to go Cali, screwing it for everyone else once again!

More efficient tires, eh, did anyone say supersingles? Eff that, having the load distributed among 7 wheels is very manageable if you lose one for whatever reasons, but imagine trying to control the beast if you only have 4 in the rear (and not 4 across like we got on our pickups) and one goes out? As for the aerodynamic features, kinda makes me wonder what aerodynamic features can be outfitted to this:

Cause that's about what I got chilling in storage and waiting for me to finally get outta school, and about the only aerodynamic feature I can think of for it is a Texas wing, which is actually bad for aerodynamics if you're towing something like a flatbed or a dry tanker (same reason why a Texas wing only works on a pickup if you're pulling 5-ers, and why tags and even goosenecks will see no benefit from it while to the trucks tis just extra drag).

But yah, I see your point, and I do think we gonna be next - thankfully, I don't plan on ever living in emissions-hell Cali, mainly due to reasons closely related to the subject of this article you quoted...

 

So basicly their wanting to install a regen system on all trucks unless they are already equiped with one. I believe they started this regneration soot emmisions control thing for 2008 model trucks. At work, I have 4 trucks in the 22 truck fleet I take care of that have the regen system installed from the factory. It looks like one high dollar setup too. The exhaust stack has a soot filter in it. A computer in the truck monitors how much soot is in the filter by I think how much pressure difference there is between the bottom and top of the muffler/filter. When it reaches a certian point, it will start a regeneration process that gets the exhaust up to around 1400*, It injects fuel right after the turbo in the exhaust and increases engine RPM to help reach that tempreture to burn the soot off. This can be done in some cases while traveling at a steady speed on the highway, otherwise you have sit and run it for 20 minuits or so. Once started, its an automatic process which will even automaticly increase the RPM to aid the process and return to normal when its done. If the regen is not run when the dash lights tell you too, over a peiriod of time the truck will loose power, then shut down.

No wonder this thing cost 12,000. I think a replacement system on the internationals was like 15,000 or so. I will say that the 4 trucks in fleet I maintain have 150k miles so far on each one and their muffler stack tips are as clean as day one. No soot. I don't think its a bad idea for them but I wish that they would give owner operators/ small companies a bailout on this deal along with a little more time. I know it said the government would help out, a little but how much?? Probably not much. If a companys trucks cannot be brought up, I think they should aid in a new one. Hey, they had plans to bail out other companies, well, the trucking industery runs the united states pritty much. This may sound bad, but if the government won't help, maby a small increase in tax on anything brought to and from california BY TRUCK is to be added to aid in the trucks retrofiting/upgrading. They are the ones that bring most the goods to the towns and stores that we buy everything from every day anyway.

Ultimitly, if the state/federal government is going to put a ban on trucks that are on the road that are noncompliant to their new laws, They should be the ones to jump in and help these guys out. A little off but, Hell, for one example, the government is helping people to buy new HD conversion boxes for their TVs starting in 09, Well, I think that the trucking industery is more important than HD conversion boxs. I know thats just one little Item that cost what, $40 in to help but Im sure it adds up. 300 HD units Cost as much as 1 conversion kit. I wonder how many hd units they are going to help buy. I figured healt and jobs should be more important than entertainment. And I wonder how many people a loaded truck of goods effect. At UPS, Its thousands upon thousands of people per trailer!!!! Im sure other smaller, less fortunate companys effect more than 300 people per delivery, Weather it is a load of computers or toilet paper to wipe your..... The GOV needs to Help these guys out, after the high fuel prices, their hurtin pritty bad, now our government is going too Shoot some of em down while their weak!!! Good plan for a growing company over its competiters, but for our own government to do that to small corps, owner operators is just screwed up. I bet they all paid in $12,000 each in taxes anway several times over, fuel tax, road tax, tax, tax tax,ect

 

My advice would be to have major truck terminals just outside CA and all freight/trailers must be either unloaded and reloaded or switched to the trucks** that meet the regs...... let the higher cost of transport be tacked on the the buyers end since they want this regulation.

I personally am getting tired of CA telling North America what we all should do....

** unless the truck is of the new requirement

 

They would be so screwed if the trucking companies quit hauling into Cali. Many companies already have certain states they do not deliver. How would they get their goods? If the major haulers said enough is enough, and quit hauling there, they would find out quickly they need the trucks. I like the idea of setting up terminals just outside their borders though...

 

i live in cali he ll i am just glad i dont have to somg my idi i think

 

thats the ticket if everyone would quit trucking into cal. i bet they would relax the law

 

as for now I don't think we have anything to worry about with your personal vehicle. Though I bet in the near future, our diesels may not be allowed in some of the major citys though like LA. Thats something that germany has already.

 

i read feather in to this some small to mid size trucking compay are writeing of cali all togher cali will die with this bill they expact trains to pick up the slack from this bill as for l.a the land of freaks and geek and 15 dollor drink i dont se my self going there anytime soon

 

If I were still driving, I would not deliver there.

Let them drive over to Kansas to buy their meat.

I can see the stores in Reno and Las Vegas getting very busy.
Goods will cost 1/3 what it costs in California after that goes into effect.

Guess we will have to stop buying California goods, because they sure are going to go up in price.

I can see perishables after getting shipped by rail.

 

Knowing some of the crazy things CARB has done over the years, they will probably just try and make everyone vegetarian since cattle have been linked to global warming anyway (they call it climate change now because its BLOODY COLD lately).

Trains are more efficient, but how do you get the goods from the train to the stores? trucks go direct to the business, trains can't leave the track.

 

when this takes afect iam moving back east

 

You could haul everything down to Mexico, and their driver's drive it in by using their junk. The DOT can't seem to control the Mexican trucks so California will probably make them exempt also.

 

lol i cant wait to c cali wither and shink do to this bill

 

I know several guys that drop at the border and another trucks carries the load in the state.