In its latest effort to crack down on diesel emissions in the state, the California Air Resources Board has taken its most drastic step yet, banning the sale of any new diesel medium- and heavy-duty truck beginning in 2036. That timeline will come even sooner for drayage operations.
CARB’s new Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule was approved unanimously Friday, April 28. CARB estimates that, of the 1.8 million medium- and heavy-duty vehicles operating daily in California, 532,000 will be subject to ACF fleet requirements.
The regulation has heavy implications for motor carriers in the state, as it bars truck manufacturers from selling any combustion-engine trucks in the state by 2036. The 100% manufacturer sales requirement was moved up to 2036 from the original 2040 start date.
The in-use regulation applies to fleets performing drayage operations; those owned by state, local, and federal government agencies; and "high priority fleets," defined as entities that own, operate or direct at least one vehicle in California, and that have $50 million or more in gross annual revenues. The high-priority fleet designation also would include those that own, operate, or have common ownership or control of a total of 50 or more vehicles (excluding light-duty package delivery vehicles).
The regulation affects medium- and heavy-duty on-road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds, off-road yard tractors and light-duty mail and package delivery vehicles.
[Related: California becomes first government in the world to mandate electric trucks]
Joe Rajkovacz, Director of Governmental Affairs & Communications with the Western States Trucking Association, virtually attended Friday’s CARB meeting and said WSTA had two individuals who testified during the meeting. Rajkovacz said for small-business owner-operators who do not enter California ports or railyards, the ACF “isn’t much of a threat until the later part of the next decade,” noting that “the CARB Board did tell staff to give them an update in 2027 in case they needed to ‘tweak’ the rule,” which he said could mean changing the timeline “if they are not seeing the results they want.”
