The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has a recommendation for refrigerated carriers that own model year (MY) 2008 transport refrigeration units (TRUs) that must comply with the TRU regulation’s performance standards by the end of 2015: your compliance planning strategies, budget approval, and financing processes should be underway now. Replacement engines may no longer be a compliance option because they must be cleaner than the old engine being replaced and there is no replacement engine that fits and functions that is cleaner than the old MY 2008 engine that needs to comply. MY 2008 TRU engines must comply with the TRU regulation’s in-use standards by December 31, 2015. Purchase orders for compliance equipment (eg, replacement trailers or units) or emissions control technology (eg, diesel particulate filters, or DPFs) must be placed before the TRU regulation’s purchase order deadlines to qualify for a compliance extension if delivery or installation is delayed until after Dec 31, 2015. To qualify for this compliance extension, the TRU must be registered in CARB’s Equipment Registration (ARBER) system, purchase orders must be placed before the purchase order deadlines, and compliance extension applications must be submitted by December 31.
Purchase order deadlines that apply to TRUs are: •For TRUs, and engine replacements—August 31 (four months ahead of the compliance deadline) •For verified DPF retrofits: October 31 (two months ahead of the compliance deadline) Replacement trailers should be ordered much sooner due to long lead times and the current manufacturing backlog. All MY 2007 and older TRU engines (or units manufactured in 2007 or earlier) should already be in compliance now. Trailer manufacture year and in-service dates are not used to determine TRU compliance dates. Non-compliant MY 2007 and older TRU engines/units must not be operated in California unless they are brought into compliance immediately. For general information, access www.arb.ca.gov/. To receive answers to questions about in-use performance standard compliance, registration in ARBER, or in-use compliance extensions, call the TRU Help Line at 1-888-878-2826 or call 1-916-327-8737.
