CARB: Plan for TRU regulation compliance now

March 19, 2014

3 min read

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is advising refrigerated carriers that own transport refrigeration units (TRUs) that must comply with the TRU regulation’s in-use performance standards by the end of 2014 to begin planning compliance strategies and budgets now. Model year (MY) 2007 TRU engines must comply with the TRU regulation’s in-use standards by December 31, 2014. Purchase orders for compliance equipment (trailers, units, or engines) or technology (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, 2014.

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 reefer trailers, TRU replacements, and TRU engine replacements: August 31 (four months ahead of the compliance deadline) •For verified DPF retrofits: October 31 (two months ahead of the compliance deadline) If purchase orders are placed before the purchase order deadline and in-use compliance cannot be achieved by Dec 31, 2014, due to delays in delivery or installation, the TRU/reefer owner may apply for a compliance extension. A compliance extension application, with attached supporting documentation, must be submitted to ARB by Dec 31, 2014. All MY 2006 and older TRU engines (or units manufactured in 2006 or earlier) should be in compliance now. Trailer manufacture year and in-service dates are not used to determine TRU compliance dates. Non-compliant MY 2006 and older TRU engines/units must not be operated in California unless they are brought into compliance immediately. The replacement engine compliance option for trailer TRUs no longer results in a full seven years of compliance until Ultra-Low-Emission TRU (ULETRU) is required. Replacement engine models that will fit and perform in trailer TRUs are Tier 4i engines. Since Tier 4i is no longer in effect, the effective MY of a Tier 4i replacement engine is 2012, so compliance with the ULETRU in-use performance standard is still required by Dec 31, 2019 (seven years after the effective model year). This results in only five years of compliance before ULETRU is required. For general information about the TRU regulation, access the TRU website at www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/tru/tru.htm. The ARBER registration website is at www.arb.ca.gov/arber/arber.htm. TRU compliance extension applications are at www.arb.ca.gov/arber/trureg/truextensions.htm. For more information, call the TRU Help Line at 1-888-878-2826 or call 1-916-327-8737.