California Air Resources Board

Cargo handling equipment include yard trucks (hostlers), rubber-tired gantry cranes, container handlers, forklifts, and other types.  The Cargo Handling Equipment (CHE) Regulation establishes requirements for in-use and newly purchased diesel-powered equipment at ports and intermodal rail yards.  The California Air Resources Board initially adopted the CHE on December 8, 2005, and it became effective on December 31, 2006.  Since then, the CHE Regulation has resulted in reductions of diesel particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NO_X) at ports and intermodal rail yards throughout California. 

CARB staff are currently assessing the availability and performance of zero-emission technology as an alternative to all combustion-powered cargo equipment and evaluate additional solutions that may include efficiency improvements.  Activities related to this effort will be posted on this web site, and will also be sent to the list serve.