Are you aware of the new air quality rules in California? If not, this is something you want to pay close attention to in the months and years to come.
The state of California is serious about this, and it is impacting a variety of industries.
At Best Yet Express, we take great pride in caring for each and every customer. At the same time, we care just as much about the environment. For this reason, we expect our entire fleet of vehicles to be fully compliant with new laws by the end of 2013.
If you want to learn more about the new air quality rules, you can do so by visiting the California Department of Transportation website.
Truck and Bus Regulation
The On-Road Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle (In-Use) Regulation, also referred to as the Truck and Bus Regulation, was approved by the California Air Resources Board in December 2008.
Although it has been a few years since the regulation passed, the state is just now getting serious because older trucks are required to be replaced by January 1, 2015.
Generally speaking, the regulation applies to all privately and federally owned diesel fueled trucks and buses as long as the gross vehicle weight rating is more than 14,000 pounds.
If you don’t think the state of California is serious about its local environment, you don’t have to look any further than this article published by the Modesto Bee: California board fines companies $653,250 for air-quality violations
This may not be directly related to the Truck and Bus Regulation, but it goes a long way in showing that the state is not going to tolerate companies that are unwilling to comply. Instead, these companies will be fined heavily.
Enforcement
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is not taking a backseat as far as enforcement is concerned. They are testing all heavy-duty trucks and buses for compliance at fleet locations, weight stations, and random roadside locations.
The first penalty is quite steep at $800, which also requires the vehicle to be repaired within 45 days. If the company complies, $500 is waived. If 45 days go by without a repair, another $800 is assessed. An additional violation within one year will result in an $1,800 fine.
We take great pride in doing our part in saving the environment and commend the state of California for these regulations.
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