California Air Resources Board

New California requirements for heavy-duty vehicles and TRUs

You may have received a postcard from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) because DMV records show you may own a vehicle that is affected by CARB’s regulations. CARB is focused on cleaning up heavy-duty vehicle pollution to reduce smog-forming oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and toxic diesel particulate matter (PM) emissions and the resulting health risks. To meet California's health-based air quality standards and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, trucks and buses operated in the state must be as clean as possible. California is working to meet the Governor’s goal of 100% zero-emission transportation, where feasible, by 2035 for off-road transport refrigeration units (TRUs) and drayage vehicles and 2045 for all other heavy-duty vehicles. As a result of these efforts, the regulations listed below may affect your heavy-duty vehicle(s) or TRUs.

Learn more by visiting:

The TruckStop | California Air Resources Board
ZEV TruckStop | California Air Resources Board 

Clean Truck Check

(formerly the Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance program). Affects non-gasoline vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 14,000 pounds operating in California. Clean Truck Check is similar to California’s Smog Check program for light-duty vehicles. The goal of Clean Truck Check is to ensure that heavy-duty vehicles operating in California remain equipped with properly functioning emissions controls, and when malfunctioning, that these components are repaired in a timely manner. Clean Truck Check requires reporting, vehicle testing, and compliance fees. 

Key events and estimated implementation dates are:

• CARB plans to implement a three-month reporting season projected to run from October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
  • By December 31, 2023, vehicle owners need to complete registration of their vehicles in the Clean Truck Check database and pay a $30 per vehicle 2023 annual compliance fee.
• CARB estimates that periodic testing requirements will become effective starting in July 2024. This means that a passing compliance test would be required to be submitted to CARB for all vehicle compliance deadlines on or after July 1, 2024.

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Advanced Clean Fleets

The ACF regulation applies to fleets performing drayage operations, fleets owned by state, local, and federal government agencies, and high priority fleets. High priority fleets are entities that own, operate, or direct at least one vehicle in California, and have either $50 million or more in gross annual revenues, or 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 GVWR greater than 8,500 pounds, off-road yard tractors, and light-duty mail and package delivery vehicles. 

Important dates:

• Drayage Trucks—Beginning January 1, 2024, trucks must be registered in the CARB Online System to conduct drayage activities in California. Non-zero-emission “legacy” drayage trucks may register in the CARB Online System (coming soon) through December 31, 2023. Legacy drayage trucks can continue to operate through their minimum useful life. Beginning January 1, 2024, only zero-emission drayage trucks may register in the CARB Online System. All drayage trucks entering seaports and intermodal railyards will be required to be zero-emission by 2035. 

• State and local agencies. State and local government fleets, including city, county, special district, and state agency fleets, are required to ensure 50% of vehicle purchases are zero-emission beginning in 2024 and 100% of vehicle purchases are zero-emission by 2027. Small government fleets (those with 10 or fewer vehicles) and those in designated counties must start their zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) purchases beginning in 2027. Alternatively, state and local government fleet owners may elect to meet ZEV targets using the ZEV Milestones Option.

• High priority and federal fleets. High priority and federal fleets must comply with the Model Year Schedule or may elect to use the optional ZEV Milestones Option to phase-in ZEVs into their fleets:
  • Model Year Schedule: Fleets must purchase only ZEVs beginning in 2024 and, starting January 1, 2025, must remove internal combustion engine vehicles at the end of their useful life as specified in the regulation.
  • ZEV Milestones Option (Optional): Instead of the Model Year Schedule, fleets may elect to meet ZEV targets as a percentage of the total fleet starting with vehicle types that are most suitable for electrification.

Learn more about ACF
Learn more about Drayage

Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM)

The TRU ATCM applies to owners and operators of diesel-fueled TRUs and TRU generator sets that operate in California, regardless of whether they are registered in or outside the state. This regulation requires zero-emission truck TRUs, a PM emission standard for newly manufactured non-truck TRUs, TRU reporting, TRU labeling, facility registration, and fees.

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