California truckers face new emission rules

California truckers face new emission rules Truckers moving cargo through the state of California now face two new emissions regulations with another looming for the end of the year.
   As of Jan. 1, truckers in the state are not allowed to idle their engines for more than five minutes. Trucks beginning with model year 2008 that operate in California will also be required to have an automatic shutoff to limit idling. The shutoff mechanism is required to notify the driver 30 seconds before shutting down.
   An additional state rule that took effect on Jan. 1 requires drivers with an auxiliary power unit attached to a truck with model year 2007 or later engines to have a particulate filter attached to the APU.
   In December, reefers operating in the state with 2001 or older engines will have to be retrofit to cut emissions in half. The rule moves up the model year required to be retrofit each year on a seven-year schedule, so that 2002 engines will be required to have the retrofits by December 2009 and 2003 engines by December 2010. The rule will be superseded by an ultra-low emission standard that begins for engines in 2010.