Originally Posted by simplyred1962

SPECIAL REPORT: Will there be a ‘California’ engine?
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007 – Truckers weighing their options on buying new trucks or engines are facing a decision they’ve never before been forced to make: buy a truck certified to idle in California or have the manufacturer activate a five-minute limit on idling.
California is requiring that engines manufactured for model year 2008 and later have a shutoff function activated unless they meet a new standard of emitting no more than 30 grams of nitrogen oxides per hour while idling. Engines already have the capability to have the shutoff function activated, but California’s rule makes their activation mandatory for any truck that enters the state. State law also prohibits the shutoff functions from being manipulated at any time by the driver.
The shutoff would prevent drivers from Oklahoma, North Carolina and any other state from ever idling longer than five minutes anywhere – if they ever wanted to haul in California, that is.
Such concerns from customers have sent engine manufacturers scrambling to push the limits to begin meeting California’s new NOx standard and avoid the necessity to activate the shutoff functions.
Most or all truck manufacturers appear as though they’ll each have an engine certified to meet California’s clean idle standard, said Joe Suchecki, director of public affairs for Chicago-based Engine Manufacturer’s Association.
The 40-year-old EMA represents Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, International, PACCAR and Volvo, among several other truck engine manufacturers, and regularly works with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board.
Suchecki said California’s requirement has pushed engine makers to meet the Golden State’s new clean idle standard of no more than 30 grams of oxides of nitrogen per hour.
CARB’s idling standard of NOx is drastically below truck engines from even a few years ago, and Suchecki said CARB’s measurement of NOx emissions per hour of idling varies from the industry’s previous NOx measurements of brake horsepower per hour.
Drivers would rather be able to idle their engines than have a mandatory engine shutoff system, Suchecki said.
“Every manufacturer is going to try and have a low-NOx engine available simply because that’s thought to be the option most customers would prefer,” Suchecki said.
Cummins announced this fall that its 2008 year engine models will meet California’s standard, allowing drivers to idle after Jan. 1, 2008. As of press time, CARB had not confirmed that certification.
Officials at Cummins decided to pursue meeting CARB’s idling standard rather than force all U.S. customers to consider the option of an automatic shutoff, said Cyndi Nigh, a Cummins spokeswoman.
“For the drivers that continue to idle, including owner-operators that need to idle for cab comfort and hotel accessories and climate control, this is a real plus because they will be able to continue to idle indefinitely … and still meet the California regulation,” Nigh said. “We think the customers are really going to like this.”
California’s requirement is that 2008 model year engines shut off after 15 minutes of idling. The shutoff is preceded by a beeping sound 30 seconds before the engine shuts off, and a CARB official told Land Line that the timer resets if the operator pushes in the clutch and changes gears.
Next year’s requirement for 2008 year truck engines has had as monumental an effect on new trucks as engine makers, Suchecki said. Engine makers have scrambled to meet environmental edicts approved first by California and mirrored by other states.
“Up until now, the standards and requirements for California and EPA have been pretty much harmonized,” Suchecki told Land Line. “This now, will be the first time, I believe, that there will be actual differences between a California engine and a 49-state engine for the heavy-duty industry.”
Suchecki said CARB’s actions in recent months have indicated the agency is only just beginning to delve into trucking emissions.
The Golden State and its imitators particularly in the northwest and northeast regions of the U.S. appear poised to keep engine manufacturers and the drivers that depend on them hopping.
“For the last couple of years, California has been taking a more strong stance to implement stronger emissions standards on the industry,” Suchecki told Land Line. “We prefer that not to happen – we certainly think it’s much better if we have one set of regulations that can serve the whole nation.”
– By Charlie Morasch, staff writer








I wrote and sent this to Landline...

This is just my own personal opinion, as a truck drivers wife, and someone who has been around truck drivers for many, many years.
WHY, is the trucking community allowing themselves to be held at ransom by ONE (in my opinion) COMMUNIST state??? What the state
of California wants done for THEIR state, affects the trucking industry in EVERY state. In as much as, EVERY trucking company that sends product TO California, and EVERY trucking company that brings product OUT of California will be LEGALLY mandated to conform to ONE STATES' law.At this point in time, as an O/O, we can NOT afford to "update" our truck, NOR buy a new one, ESPECIALLY with the price of fuel. Is California doing all this to become, in effect, their own COUNTRY???? Or WHAT?? Seems to me, as if they aren't thinking/feeling for the rest of the country, only THEMSELVES! California has long been attempting to become totally self-sufficient. Which is admirable. On the surface...Yet, underneath, there seems to be a teeming resentment, and ACTIVE movement, to disengage itself from the REST of the U.S. This is simply my own observations, of course.

Sincerely,
A Truckers Wife

Originally Posted by simplyred1962

<snip>
At this point in time, as an O/O, we can NOT afford to "update" our truck, NOR buy a new one, ESPECIALLY with the price of fuel.
<snip>

Originally Posted by lostNfound

I'm not quite sure I see your point. The article only mentions the requirements for engines manufactured for model years 2008 and beyond. There is no requirement to upgrade anything in older model trucks.

The same applies to the companion APU legislation; that is, the APU emissions requirements only apply to trucks equipped with model year 2008 (or was it 2007?) and later engines.

Originally Posted by simplyred1962

We have heard from our company that it applies to 2007, and older models.

Originally Posted by LandLine

IN-DEPTH: New regs in California raise questions about APUs
Friday, Aug. 10, 2007 – With 2008 fast approaching, one of the most frequently asked questions among many truckers is, “What is going on in California regarding APUs?”

Some operators who have invested thousands of dollars in generator sets and auxiliary power units have heard reports that starting in January 2008, it will be illegal to operate them in California.

Others are concerned about a new law that will make it illegal to idle your truck’s main engine more than five minutes, unless it is certified as an “ultra-low emissions engine.” That’s a standard created in and applicable to California. As of press time, no diesel engine has met it.

For those of you who invested in a gen set or APU – for simplicity’s sake, let’s call them all APUs for the remainder of this article – for any truck powered by a pre-2007 engine, rest easy. Your APU will remain legal to use, although your main engine idling time will be limited by the five-minute rule. The determining factor is when the truck engine was manufactured.

OEMs either bought or built engines for inventory right up to the end of 2006. Then they converted over to 2007 technology. A majority of the 2007 trucks delivered in the first half of this year were built with 2006 engines. For those trucks and all 2006 and older trucks, it’s business as usual as far as APU use in California – for now.

Buying a new truck? Here’s the skinny
If your current truck needs to be replaced and you’re considering a new truck with 2007 engine technology, here’s what you need to know.

CARB confirmed to Land Line that two DPF systems for APUs have been submitted for the air board’s approval, but neither had been OK’d as of press time. Rigmaster officials have said they are confident their DPF filter will be approved and ready for installation by Jan. 1, 2008.

Until the APU manufacturers can source or develop diesel particulate filters – DPFs – for small engines, you have only a few alternatives.
After Jan. 1, 2008, CARB will allow you to operate your APU on your 2007 or newer truck if you plumb the exhaust so it runs through your main engine’s DPF. That sounds simple enough, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has regulations that make it illegal to make any changes whatsoever to any system – including DPFs – once it has been EPA-certified.

Consequently, plumbing your APU exhaust through your main engine DPF may get you into compliance with CARB, but it will put you out of compliance with the feds.

The only time an APU can have its exhaust routed through the truck’s DPF is if the entire system – APU, engine and DPF – were certified together.

Cummins offers the ComfortGuard system manufactured by Cummins Onan. This may be the only APU to date certified to meet California requirements that also clears the EPA hurdles, but only when used with Cummins-powered trucks and ordered as a system from the OEM.

The ‘switch’
Another piece of California legislation, also adopted in 2005 and effective Jan. 1, 2008, requires that all new heavy duty trucks have an automatic engine shut-off device to limit idling to five minutes when parked.

So the question is: With the engine in mandatory shut down, what, with the exception of the Cummins ComfortGuard, is available that will meet California requirements and still keep drivers comfortable?

The folks at CARB seem to favor electric power sources, from either on-board or external sources. These include deep-cycle, battery-powered, on-board devices and shore power, including IdleAire.

Electric alternatives
Deep-cycle batteries differ from starting-lighting-accessory batteries – often called SLA batteries – in their ability to discharge a greater share of their capacity and accept multiple recharging.

Shore power gets its name from plug-in electrical systems used on boats when docked. The vehicle is internally wired to use household current for HVAC and hotel loads. Electricity is obtained by plugging into outlets on bollards or posts at assigned parking places, usually after payment of a time-based fee.

A side benefit of shore power systems is that they can be constructed relatively quickly and inexpensively in freight yards, terminals, rest areas and truck stops.

Shore power, or truck-stop electrification as it is sometimes called, contrasts sharply with IdleAire, which is a pay-as you-go service requiring almost no financial investment to equip your truck. Generally all you need to hook up to IdleAire is a $10 window template.

IdleAire does require a substantial investment in infrastructure at truck stops or other locations. It also requires dedicated parking spaces, which may or may not be occupied by paying IdleAire customers.

Hybrid solutions
Hybrid units that meet the California regs are also available. They use a combination of electric-powered air conditioning, inverters for hotel loads, cold storage and fuel-fired heaters. Electric climate control is considered low-polluting or zero-polluting, depending on the source of power generation.

Hybrid systems combine two or more energy sources for idle reduction, usually batteries or APUs for air conditioning and fuel-fired heaters for heat.

In California, fuel-fired heaters used on trucks with 2007 or newer engines must meet emissions standards specified in the state’s Low Emission Vehicle Program. To date, only Espar has been certified to meet that standard, but its competitors are expected to announce certification soon.

Thermal storage systems route cooled air through special ducts from the truck’s air conditioner when the engine is running. The cooled air chills chemicals that effectively store the A/C output. With the engine off, air blown over the units release heat to maintain cab temperature. The units absorb the heat from the cab air.

Seeking certification
Some APU manufacturers are working to develop units that meet California standards in stand-alone form. Others are trying to partner with engine makers to offer integrated, certified packages. However, engine builders may be reluctant to put a great deal of effort into third-party systems.
Truck OEMs such as Kenworth, Peterbilt and Mack offer HVAC devices that, because they are powered by deep cycle batteries, will be legal for use in California after the new rule for ’07 models and newer trucks goes into effect in January 2008.

Bergstrom’s NITE system using deep cycle batteries for air conditioning and Espar’s California certified fuel-fired heaters will also meet regulations. Drivers have expressed concerns, however, that batteries may lose sufficient power to cool effectively at extreme temperatures in the California desert.

The California regulations will apply to all trucks – but not RVs or motor homes – operating in the state. It won’t matter whether you’re picking up, delivering or just passing through, if your truck has an ’07 or newer engine, the rule will apply to you.

Previously, California regulations applied only to vehicles sold or registered in the state.

Questions have been raised as to whether this new approach violates the Interstate Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution because California is mandating equipment on trucks from other states. If a truck can legally operate in all other states, can California put additional restrictions on it when it enters, even if it is driving through and not doing business there?
That will be a challenge for the lawyers to handle.

– By Paul Abelson, senior technical editor
[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

Originally Posted by simplyred1962

My point being, that California is attempting to FORCE the rest of the U.S. to conform to THEIR laws. The laws of the the REST of the U.S. notwithstanding.....

Originally Posted by Ron-MARS Trucking

CARB wants to require all trucks pre 2007 to be retrofitted with DPFs or Diesel Particulate Filters.