California Air Resources Board

Pursuant to state regulation, operators of diesel-fueled trucks, with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds, shall not idle for more than 5 minutes when stopped within California's borders. As of JANUARY 1, 2008, this restriction also applies to sleeper berth trucks. Consequently, many operators are now required to use some form of idle reduction technology to provide cab comfort services during periods of sleep and rest. To assist operators who may not be familiar with idle reduction technologies, CARB has developed this webpage to provide general information regarding various technologies that are currently available.

All idle reduction alternatives presented here require some amount of out-of-pocket expense. However, it is expected that operators will recover their costs over time through fuel and maintenance savings. CARB estimates that cost recovery times will range between 8 months and 3 years, but actual recovery times will depend on the equipment selected and the amount of time spent at idle.

In the spirit of air pollution prevention, CARB encourages the use of zero- and low-emissions technologies such as battery-powered systems, thermal energy storage systems, and truck-stop electrification systems. Selecting certain zero-emissions technologies may also qualify you for financial incentives through California's Carl Moyer Program. Please visit the program webpage or contact your local air district for details.