California Fleet Reporting Deadline Approaching Following CARB Advanced Clean Trucks Rule
Written by: Virginia McCormick, NES, Inc.
Under CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks Rule, California fleets will be expected to report certain service information by April 1, 2021.
CA Advanced Clean Trucks Requirement Promotes Transition to Clean Trucks
Last year the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved a regulation designed to speed the transition away from fossil fuel emissions. While the Office of Administrative Law has yet to approve the regulation, California fleets required to report under the CARB rule will need to do so by April 1, 2021.
The Advanced Clean Trucks rule was approved unanimously by CARB in July 2020. The rule has two distinct parts: the first is a Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) sales requirement for truck manufacturers, and the second is a one-time reporting requirement for California’s trucking entities and large fleets. Reporting will request general entity information, along with fleet size, vehicle use data, and verification of a sustainability plan.
CARB notes that the regulation will help, “achieve its emission reduction strategies,” by promoting the development and use of advanced clean trucks. California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule is the first of its kind in the nation, and other states, such as New Jersey and New York, are already attempting to kick-start the implementation of similar regulations.
In addition to providing useful industry information to CARB, the Advanced Clean Trucks rule is intended to promote the transition to zero-emission vehicles.
Following the implementation of the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, CARB has projected the State will save nearly $6 billion between 2020 and 2040, primarily due to lower fuel and maintenance costs compared to traditional fossil fuel trucking. The same report also projected statewide health benefits from reduced emissions of nearly $9 billion in the same 2020 to 2040 range.
Determining Advanced Clean Trucks Rule Applicability
According to the nonprofit CALSTART, which works to develop clean transportation solutions in California, transportation accounts for roughly 60% of emissions that cause smog in urban regions and a third of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
By enacting the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, CARB hopes to more effectively address the harmful effects of transportation emissions and accelerate the State’s transition to zero-emission vehicles. Furthermore, the information gathered from the rule may, “structure future end-user regulatory strategies, help ensure a level playing field, and help CARB determine any appropriate exemptions or flexibilities.”
The above graphic details the criteria behind CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule compliance determination. Any entities (fleet owners, businesses, government agencies, municipalities, brokers, etc.) covered under the Advanced Clean Trucks rule will have to report by April 1, 2021.
Reporting can be done by accessing CARB’s Large Entity One-Time Reporting System webpage. Those with questions or concerns regarding reporting requirements are encouraged to contact Advanced Clean Trucks Reporting at actreporting@arb.ca.gov.
New Requirements No Stranger to California Fleets
According to CARB, California faces several, “very challenging mandates” in the effort to reduce air pollutants. These include:
- 40% reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2030
- 80% reduction in GHGs by 2050
- 50% reduction in petroleum use by 2030
As a CARB fact sheet notes, meeting these challenging mandates will require the State’s transportation industry to implement some bold changes. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule, although regarded as a landmark ruling, is only the latest in a long history of regulatory efforts by the State to reduce air pollutants.
California fleet owners have been expected to regularly adapt to the State’s changing air pollution regulations for decades. While CARB’s new rule is expected to cause some confusion and difficulties during the initial implementation, the agency maintains that these new reporting guidelines will help the State stay ontrack for meeting air pollutant reduction mandates.
California cities regularly top pollution ranking lists, and the State’s transportation industry is often considered the prime contributor.
Maintaining Regulatory Compliance Essential to CA Business Ownership
According to data sourced from the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report, California cities rank high on both the top ozone pollution and particle pollution lists.
As transportation accounts for a significant amount of the State’s pollution, it is understandable that CARB is attempting to steer the trucking industry towards zero-emission vehicles by enacting the Advanced Clean Trucks rule.
At NES, we have over 30 years of experience tailoring our services to assist with navigating California’s environmental compliance and training regulations. Additionally, NES has served as the Technical Group Leader for the California Trucking Association Storm Water Compliance Group (CTACG), one of the largest storm water compliance groups in the State of California, since 1999.
We administer CTACG and the California Trucking Association Storm Water Program (CTASWP), providing members with a range of benefits. For more information on the benefits provided to CTA Compliance Group and CTA Storm Water Program members, click here.
NES also provides in-house storm water programs for facilities that are not members of CTA. For more information, please contact our storm water compliance team at: cta@nesglobal.net or 916-353-2360 / 800-637-2384.
References:
CARB: California takes bold step to reduce truck pollution
Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Appendix A
CARB: Advanced Clean Trucks
Electric Trucks Now: Families in diesel death zones demand electric trucks, launch public awareness campaign to tackle systemic pollution injustice
Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) 15-Day Notice Attachment C
CALSTART: Mission
Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Request for Early Effective Date
CARB: Large Entity OneTime Fleet Reporting Reporting Guide
CARB Large Entity One-Time Reporting Web Portal
CARB: Advanced Clean Trucks Fact Sheet
The New York Times: New Rule in California Will Require Zero-Emissions Trucks
American Lung Association: State of the Air