Trucks entering California with 2000-2004 engines must be equipped with soot filters as of Jan. 1, 2013, or face minimum fines of US$1,000 per month

Cindy Allen

GRAIN VALLEY, Missouri , November 29, 2012 (Land Line magazine) – If your truck will enter California in 2013 but doesn’t comply with the Golden State’s Truck and Bus Regulation, you could face thousands of dollars in fines.

Truck owners with model-year 2000 through 2004 engines that aren’t modified to meet the Truck and Bus rule are subject to minimum fines of $1,000 per violation per month beginning Jan. 1, 2013. Those fines “increase significantly” over time, according to a California Air Resources Board enforcement reminder.

Truck owners with 2000 through 2004 model-year engines are required to have CARB-verified soot filters and/or upgrades to newer vehicles completed by Jan. 1, 2013.

Similar upgrades were required earlier this year for trucks with 1996 through 1999 model year engines.

“Do not delay in taking action to clean up your fleet,” CARB said in the enforcement reminder. “The installation of a particulate matter filter may take a month or longer to accomplish; however, you may be able to significantly reduce penalties by taking action now.”

The Truck and Bus rule began enforcement earlier this year. By 2023, nearly every bus and truck operating in the state will have been modified or replaced to meet the rule.

For more information, or to check your compliance, call CARB’s trucking hotline at 866-6-DIESEL, or visit the CARB Truckstop. Questions can also be emailed.
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