MY ETT News » emissions

CARB Reminds Truckers of Jan. 1 Compliance Deadline

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:12:32 +0000

The California Air Resources Board has reminded heavy diesel truck owners that new emission rules take effect Jan. 1 and they may need to report their compliance online.

The rules, adopted in 2008 and amended last year, apply to all privately owned and federal government diesel trucks operating in California.

Separately, large fleets in California also face a Jan. 1 deadline to have SmartWay-approved fuel efficient aerodynamic technology equipment installed on 15% of trailers manufactured before 2011.

Fleets that signed up late for a phase-in option must have 20% of their 53-foot or longer dry van or reefer trailers equipped with the technology on that date.

For the engine rule, “fleet owners who need to get the facts should call CARB’s diesel hotline or go to CARB’s website for assistance,” CARB assistant chief of mobile sources Erik White said in a statement.

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Trends driving development of ‘low-cost’ trucks

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:54:17 +0000

Several trends, not the least of which are ever-growing equipment costs to keep pace with emissions mandates and safety systems, may contribute sooner rather than later to the development of “low-cost” trucks. Supporters are quick to note that this does not mean cheap, but rather a means for carriers to reap a return on their investments. Already, some carriers are opting for smaller engines and manual transmissions to cut costs where they can to help offset the higher price of complying with environmental regulations.

"Low-Cost" Trucks May Develop to Offset Costs of Emissions Regulations

DALLAS, TX. A mix of major trends, from increasing urbanization to the need for greater freight transport profitability, are combining to spur the development of “low-cost” trucks – especially as mandates for expensive emissions control and safety systems continue to impact trucking operations around the world.

Sandeep Kar, global director-commercial vehicle research for global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, stressed repeatedly recently that the term “low-cost” truck should not be interpreted to mean “cheap” truck.

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UPS purchasing 100 EVI all-electric vehicles for California

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:48:40 +0000

UPS recently announced that it has purchased 100 all-electric delivery vehicles to deploy in short-range delivery routes in California as part of the carrier’s ongoing effort to reduce emissions. The 100 vehicles will replace older diesel trucks in the company’s fleet. UPS has already tested this type of vehicle and is anxious to put them to use in “real world” applications. Already, the company is operating all-electric vehicles in New York and Europe. They are able to travel within a 90-mile range and have displaced more than 126,000 gallons of fuel a year that would have been used otherwise without the alternative energy technology.

UPS on Thursday, Aug. 25, announced the purchase of 100 all-electric delivery vehicles for deployment in California, bolstering the company’s continuing effort to reduce the emissions of its truck fleet and improve its energy security. The 100 vehicles will be acquired from Electric Vehicles International of Stockton, Calif., and will replace older generation diesel trucks in the largest single deployment of zero tailpipe emissions delivery vehicles in the state.

“This purchase is a milestone for UPS’s alternative fleet expansion,” says Mike Britt, UPS director of vehicle engineering. “UPS’s research and development of alternative technologies has determined it is time to explore electric drive systems within the short-range segment of our delivery fleet. This purchase is an important first step in supporting investment and advancement in electric vehicle technology. EVI’s vehicle met our requirements in the test phase. Now we will operate these vehicles in the real world and help establish the future viability of this technology.”

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L.A., Long Beach Ports Settle Emissions Lawsuit

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:35:01 +0000

The seven terminal operators at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have settled the lawsuit alleging their violation of diesel emissions standards. As part of the terms of the settlement, the terminals will spend $1 million each to clean up their operations, while also educating the public on the harmful effects of diesel emissions. The terminals will also shell out $1 million to fund low emission truck grants.

California Ports Reach Settlement Over Emissions Lawsuits

Seven terminal operators at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging the terminals were in violation of diesel emission standards, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Under the settlement reached with California Attorney General Kamala Harris, the terminals agreed to spend about $1 million each on cleanup projects and advertise warnings to the public about diesel emissions, the Associated Press reported.

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Fuel standards should save fleets money, report says

Rhonda Flathman — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:39:44 +0000

Implementing the new federal fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks and pickups stands to save fleets, consumers and the nation as a whole billions of dollars in reduced fuel consumption and reduced emissions, which in turn yield a cleaner environment and improved public health, according to an analysis conducted by the National Wildlife Federation. What’s more, the organization says it has determined that the fuel savings will more than cover the upcharge for the pricier technologies required to meet the new standards. The $6,000 to $8,000 more for fuel efficient trucks could be then recouped in as little as six months based on miles driven, and over the projected life cycle of the unit could return a savings of $73,000.

An analysis of the new federal fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks and pickups conducted by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) concludes that fleets and consumers alike should reap more than enough savings to compensate for increased costs to make those vehicles comply with the new regulations.

“Our research indicates that the fuel savings these standards will generate should far exceed any upfront costs,” Zoe Lipman, NWF’s senior manager for transportation solutions, told Fleet Owner. “We’ve also consistently seen cost estimates for new technology actually come in lower than expected, meaning the payback periods should be shorter.”

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CARB rejects port truckers bid

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:09:28 +0000

Truckers serving the Port of Oakland petitioned the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to delay emissions upgrades for drayage trucks, but the state agency declined. Undeterred, the West State Alliance, which is leading the charge on behalf of the truckers, is intent on ensuring their voices are heard. The next phase regulations calls for 2004 model engines to be retrofit with particulate filters by 2012, followed by 2005-2006 models to be brought into compliance by 2013. By 2014, all engines must be brought into compliance or replaced. The West State Alliance is seeking relief for the truckers affected by these new drayage truck rules.

After agreeing to a panel hearing, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has decided against a recommendation to delay the scheduled emissions upgrades for drayage trucks in the Port of Oakland.

“We did not accomplish our intended outcome,” Ronald Light, executive director of the West State Alliance told Fleet Owner following the hearing. The hearing was designed to give truckers hauling in and out of the area port the opportunity to voice their concerns about the impact of the scheduled Phase II, emissions-related upgrades for drayage trucks that are currently mandated by CARB under the statewide drayage truck regulations which went into effect in 2007.

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Thumbs up for truck mpg rules

Rhonda Flathman — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:11:29 +0000

Most stakeholder groups in the trucking industry are cheering the new federal fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks announced Tuesday. With the exception of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. (OOIDA), the new targets for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions were met with praise. One of the advantages of the plan is to reduce dependence on foreign oil. In order to develop technologies to achieve these ambitious standards, a number of OEMs will be put to work, though several said the new federal fuel efficiency goals align well with their own to continue to offer customers cost-effective and forward-thinking solutions. OOIDA dismissed the proposed standards as a “one-size-fits-all” rule.

Reaction to Federal Fuel Efficiency Standards Mostly Positive
From environmental groups to trucking lobbies to truck OEMs and engine makers, the reaction to yesterday’s announcement of federal regulations on fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for commercial vehicles is nearly universally positive.

The rules will take effect between 2014 and 2018 and will impose different fuel efficiency requirements on medium- and heavy-duty trucks based on the size and weight of a given vehicle type. For example, most – but not all – tractor-trailers will be required to achieve up to approximately a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and GHG emissions by model year 2018, which the government estimates will save up to 4 gals. of fuel for every 100 mi. traveled.

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Port of Long Beach’s clean-air efforts reducing pollution, study finds

Rhonda Flathman — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:05:55 +0000

Air quality continues to improve at the Port of Long Beach, according to a recent assessment of its clean-air efforts. The study found that pollution has dropped 72 percent, in large part due to the phasing out of the oldest trucks serving the port. From 2005 to 2010, key air pollutants, including greenhouse gases, diesel particulates, sulfur oxides and smog-forming nitrogen oxides dropped by double-digit percentage points. Though port officials are pleased with the progress that has been made, they say their work is not done and that they are continually exploring new strategies.

The Port of Long Beach’s clean-air efforts are achieving across-the-board reductions in air pollution, including a 72 percent decline in diesel particulates, according to a recent study that reports the fourth straight year of pollution reductions from the ships, trucks, locomotives, forklifts, tugboats and other equipment that move cargo at the port. The continued phasing out of the oldest trucks was among the primary factors contributing to the air quality improvements, according to the port-funded study.

The study showed that from 2005 to 2010, all of the key air pollutants from port-related sources were reduced; in addition to diesel particulates, sulfur oxides were cut by 73 percent, smog-forming nitrogen oxides lessened by 46 percent, and greenhouse gases reduced by 18 percent.

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UPS touts improved fuel efficiency

Rhonda Flathman — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:53:06 +0000

Though the package volume handled by UPS last year rose, the company’s latest annual Sustainability Report shows a reduction in the amount of fuel used to deliver each package. From 2009 to 2010, package volume grew 1.8 percent, while fuel consumption per package dropped 3.3 percent. Several factors were cited in this improvement, such as routing technologies, load optimization, monitoring and managing driver behaviors–particularly with regard to fuel use–and deploying vehicles based on route considerations, such as distance. The new report, found at ups.com/sustainability, details key factors that yielded overall improvement.

UPS on Thursday, July 28, released the latest edition of its annual Sustainability Report, disclosing it once again had managed to reduce the amount of fuel it’s using to deliver each package in the United States. UPS says its U.S. package volume rose 1.8 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, but it reduced the amount of fuel consumed per package by 3.3 percent.

The company attributed the improvement to deploying the right vehicle on the right routes, using technology to minimize the miles driven and focusing on how behavior can affect fuel use. UPS says technology enabled it to avoid driving more than 63.5 million miles in 2010 with an associated emissions avoidance of 68,000 metric tonnes.

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Obama set to announce heavy truck fuel economy standards

Rhonda Flathman — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:39:08 +0000

On the heels of an announcement calling for improved fuel economy goals for cars and light-duty trucks, President Obama is set to make a similar announcement regarding heavy-duty vehicles on Tuesday, Aug. 9. Just last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed a 20 percent reduction of emissions and improved fuel economy for heavy-duty trucks beginning with the 2014 model year. Few details were issued about the announcement, other than the standards would offer “tens of billions of dollars in fuel savings, and will dramatically reduce oil consumption and cut pollution.”

President to Announce Fuel Economy Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles on Tuesday
President Obama will announce new fuel economy standards for heavy-duty trucks at Virginia-based Interstate Moving Services Aug. 9. The standards will affect work trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles.

According to the press statement released yesterday by the Office of the Press Secretary, “The new standards will provide American businesses, who operate and own these commercial vehicles, tens of billions of dollars in fuel savings, and will dramatically reduce oil consumption and cut pollution.” No other details were made available.

Click here to visit CCJ and read the complete story.