The Way of the Smart

For a few years now, the California Environmental Protection Agency has been working on initiatives to reduce climate changing emissions from tractor-trailers and refrigerated trailer units. UWC has been closely monitoring all initiatives in order to provide information and updates to our followers, which can be found published in various posts on this blog, and in various editions of our monthly newsletter The Road Ahead.

Today, we are focusing on facts related to Tractor-Trailer Greenhouse Gas Regulations and the US Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay Transport Partnership Program.

What is the purpose of the regulation?

The CA Air Resources Board has developed this specific regulation in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are produced by heavy-duty tractors by making them more fuel efficient. Fuel efficiency will be improved by requiring the use of aerodynamic tractors & trailers. These tractors & trailers will also be required to be equipped with low rolling resistance tires.

Tractors & trailers that are subject to this regulation must either use the US EPA SmartWay certified tractors & trailers, or retrofit their existing fleet with SmartWay verified technologies.

Who is affected by the regulation?

The regulation applies primarily to owners of 53’ or longer box-type trailers, including both dry van and refrigerated units, and owners of heavy-duty tractors that operate on CA highways, regardless of what state the vehicle is registered in. Owners are responsible for replacing or retrofitting their affected vehicles with compliant aerodynamic technologies and low rolling resistance tires. Drivers, motor carriers, California-based brokers, and California-based shippers that operate or use these types of vehicle also share the duty for compliance with the regulation. One or all of these parties may be held accountable for operating or using non-compliant vehicles on CA highways.

What are the requirements of the regulation? Compliance dates

For tractors subject to the regulation:

• 2011 and newer model year (MY) sleeper-cab tractors that pull affected trailers must be SmartWay certified, beginning January 1, 2010.

• 2011 and newer MY day-cab tractors that pull affected trailers must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires, beginning January 1, 2010.

• All 2010 and older MY tractors that pull affected trailers must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires beginning January 1, 2013.

For trailers subject to the regulation:

• 2011 and newer MY 53-foot or longer box-type trailers must, beginning January 1, 2010, be either
              o SmartWay certified or
              o Retrofitted with SmartWay verified technologies

• 2010 and older MY 53-foot or longer box-type trailers (with the exception of certain 2003 to 2009 MY refrigerated-van trailers) must meet the same aerodynamic device requirements as 2011 and newer MY trailers either:
              o By January 1, 2013, or
              o According to a compliance schedule based on fleet size which allows them to phase-in their compliance over time.

• 2010 and older MY trailers must use SmartWay verified low rolling resistance tires by January 1, 2017.

• 2003 to 2009 MY refrigerated-van trailers equipped with 2003 or newer MY transport refrigeration units have a compliance phase-in between 2017 and 2019.

So, most operators and other interested parties using equipment that is 2010 or older have a least 1 year to start complying with some of the regulations. To comply, operators may purchase a SmartWay certified tractor and/or trailer, which will come already equipped with the approved technologies. Older units can become compliant by the following retrofits: low rolling resistance tires, trailer rear fairings, trailer side skirts, trailer front gaps, and other SmartWay approved technologies.

Checking In

For more general information, and specific information on the type and number of technologies required, visit the CARB website and the SmartWay website. Have any opinions about the CA Air Resources Board’s multiple regulations, or experiences in retrofit options? Please share!

References:
California Environmental Protection Agency
Air Resources Board. Facts about Tractor-Trailer Greenhouse Gas Regulation. http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/HDGHG/HDGHG_Genl_Fact_Sheet.pdf. Accessed on 12/01/2011.

Oktoberfest

October: the start of Fall, and for the refrigerated produce industry in North America, the time when produce starts transitioning to ship out new areas. UWC closely follows these transitioning trends, as it allows us to plan for lanes and anticipate truck demand. So, let’s look at 4 full truckload products and how they are transitioning.

Avocadoes: The season in California has concluded. Mexico inventories have been noted as lower due to heavy rains halting the harvest at the end of last week. Weather in this region has improved, and harvest should increase by the end of this week. In particular, movement from crossings through Texas are expected to increase.

Cucumbers: In the Baja, light production has continued throughout this week; many growers have moved through the flush of new field crop. Some early production has started out of mainland Mexico, with crossings through Nogales expected to increase seasonally, and crossings from Otay Mesa, CA expected to decrease slightly. Light shipments have also begun out of the Central and South Florida districts, with sufficient volume expected by the end of October.

Bell Peppers: The California Central Valley and Oxnard district crops are beginning seasonal decline, with overall volumes set to drop. Green bell peppers will begin out of the California Desert/Coachella Valley lightly starting next week. No real volume is expected until mid-November. The supplies of colored bells remains good, but are starting their seasonal decline. Mexico crossings through Arizona are expected to arrive the week of Oct 24th, with reportable volumes expected by mid-November.

Tomatoes: Growers and shippers in the San Joaquin Valley, California are in their last couple of weeks of harvest. Most product is still coming out of this area, along with the California Coast, and some Mexico Crossings through Otay Mesa, California. Demand is set to shift to the East by the end of October, with light harvesting set to start at that time in West and Central Florida.

Stay tuned for more news/transition updates!! Have any insight to share? What is the best way you plan for these transitions??

References:

The Packer – Crops and Markets. http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/crops-markets. Accessed on Oct. 19, 2011.

Pro-Act; The Source Market Report. http://web1.digitalmotionsolutions.com/proactusa.com/PDF/The%20Source.pdf. Accessed on Oct. 19, 2011.