Bringing a new heavy-duty vehicle into your fleet in California? It’s not just about getting it off the truck and onto the road. Ensuring compliance with California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations is crucial from day one. CARB is aggressively working to reduce pollution from heavy-duty vehicles to meet air quality standards and greenhouse gas emission goals. This means understanding and adhering to several key regulations that may affect your new vehicle as soon as it arrives.
The goal is cleaner air, and for heavy-duty vehicle operators in California, this translates to specific programs designed to maintain and upgrade vehicle emissions systems. Think of it as “programming” your new vehicle for California’s clean air standards right from the start. Here’s what you need to know to get your new heavy-duty vehicle compliant and operating legally in California.
Clean Truck Check: Your Vehicle’s Emissions Health Passport
The Clean Truck Check program, also known as the Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance program, is like a mandatory health check for your heavy-duty vehicle’s emissions system. If your new vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 14,000 pounds and operates in California, it’s likely subject to this program. This includes diesel and alternative fuel vehicles, buses, motorhomes, and even agricultural vehicles.
Think of Clean Truck Check as the heavy-duty version of California’s Smog Check for cars. It’s designed to ensure that your vehicle’s emissions control equipment is working correctly and is promptly repaired if needed. For new vehicles, understanding Clean Truck Check means knowing about:
- Reporting Requirements: You’ll need to report your vehicle’s details into the CARB system.
- Annual Compliance Fees: There are annual fees associated with operating heavy-duty vehicles in California under this program.
- Emissions Compliance Testing: Your vehicle will need to undergo regular emissions testing to ensure it meets the required standards.
Ensuring your new vehicle is registered and compliant with Clean Truck Check from the outset is a fundamental step in “programming” it for California roads.
Learn more about Clean Truck Check.
Navigating the In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation
If your “new car off the truck” is actually off-road equipment, such as construction or agricultural machinery, the In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation (Off-Road Regulation) comes into play. This regulation is for self-propelled off-road diesel or alternative fuel vehicles with engines 25 horsepower or greater, operated in California.
While primarily focused on existing fleets, understanding this regulation is important even for new off-road vehicle additions. The Off-Road Regulation pushes fleets to reduce emissions by:
- Retiring or Replacing Older Vehicles: While this might not directly apply to a brand new vehicle, it sets the context for fleet composition.
- Engine Upgrades: Knowing the requirements for engine upgrades and emission control technologies is important for long-term fleet management.
- Restrictions on Older Vehicle Additions: This highlights California’s commitment to cleaner fleets, which influences future fleet expansion strategies.
For new off-road vehicles, ensure that they meet the latest emissions standards and understand any reporting or compliance requirements under the Off-Road Regulation to keep your operations running smoothly.
Learn more about the Off-Road Regulation.
Learn more about regulations at The Off-Road Zone.
Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF): The Zero-Emission Vehicle Future
The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation is arguably the most transformative for heavy-duty fleets in California. It mandates a phased transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) for certain fleet types. If your new vehicle is part of a fleet that falls under ACF, understanding these requirements is paramount for “programming” your fleet for the future. The ACF regulation targets three main fleet categories:
- State and Local Government Fleets: Government agencies at all levels are required to progressively incorporate ZEVs into their fleets.
- Drayage Trucks: Trucks operating at seaports and railyards are mandated to transition to zero-emission.
- High Priority Fleets: Large entities (>$50 million annual revenue or 50+ vehicles) including federal agencies, also fall under ZEV transition mandates.
Key Dates and Considerations for New Vehicles under ACF:
- ZEV Purchase Mandates: For state and local government fleets, ZEV purchase percentages began in January 2024, escalating to 100% by 2027 for larger fleets. Smaller government fleets and those in specific counties have later start dates.
- Drayage Truck Transition: As of January 1, 2024, only zero-emission drayage trucks can be newly registered in the CARB system. All drayage trucks entering ports and railyards must be zero-emission by 2035. If your new vehicle is for drayage, it likely needs to be a ZEV now.
- High Priority Fleet Compliance: High priority fleets have options to comply via a Model Year Schedule or ZEV Milestones Option for phasing in ZEVs. Starting January 1, 2024, new vehicle additions to these fleets should ideally be ZEVs, and from January 1, 2025, older internal combustion engine vehicles beyond their useful life must be removed.
When adding a new heavy-duty vehicle, especially to these fleet types, the ACF regulation heavily pushes for zero-emission options. “Programming” your fleet for the future means strategically incorporating ZEVs to align with these mandates.
Important Dates to Keep in Mind:
- For State and Local Agencies: ZEV purchase requirements are already in effect, with increasing percentages over the next few years.
- For Drayage Trucks: The transition to zero-emission is actively underway, with near-term deadlines for ZEV-only operations.
- For High Priority Fleets: Compliance pathways are available, but the direction is clearly towards ZEV adoption for new vehicle acquisitions.
*It’s important to note that CARB has issued an Enforcement Notice regarding drayage and high priority fleet reporting and registration prohibitions, pending EPA action. However, this does not change the long-term requirements of the ACF regulation.
Learn more about the Enforcement Notice.
Learn more about ACF.
Learn about more CARB regulations by visiting:The TruckStopZEV TruckStop
Contact CARB for Direct Assistance
Navigating these regulations can be complex. CARB provides dedicated hotlines to assist with specific inquiries:
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Hotline
Email: [email protected] Phone: (866) 634-3735 / (866) 6DIESEL
In-Use Off-Road Vehicle Hotline
Email: [email protected] Phone: (877) 593-6677
Adding a new heavy-duty vehicle to your California fleet requires proactive planning and adherence to CARB regulations. From Clean Truck Check to the Advanced Clean Fleets mandates, “programming” your new vehicle for compliance from “off the truck” is essential for legal operation and contributing to California’s clean air goals. Understanding these regulations and utilizing CARB resources will ensure a smooth and compliant integration of new vehicles into your fleet.
