CARB Proposes to Ban Diesel Drayage Trucks by 2035
Proposed regulation for trucks operating at ports and railyards implements Newsom’s order for a statewide transition of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to zero-emissions vehicles by 2045.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) proposed to require drayage trucks, which transport cargo to and from seaports and railyards or other distribution centers near ports, to transition from diesel to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035. The proposal is part of the rulemaking for the Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation (ACF), which requires truck and bus fleets in California to be zero-emissions by 2045.
The proposed ACF will help meet the directive of Executive Order N 79-20, which ordered a full transition of passenger cars and trucks to ZEVs by 2035 and a transition of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to ZEVs by 2045. (See All New Cars Sold in California Must be ZEVs by 2035.)
Zero-Emission Drayage Truck Requirements
The regulation would require drayage trucks to start transitioning to zero-emission technology beginning in 2024, with full implementation by 2035. Beginning in 2025, CARB would ban from operating in ports and rail yards trucks with diesel engines that have more than 800,000 miles or have an engine that is more than 18 years old, whichever comes first. The rule would also require all drayage trucks intending to begin or continue operations at a California seaport or intermodal railyard to register with CARB.
Current Drayage Truck Requirements
Drayage trucks are subject to several CARB emissions requirements. In 2007, CARB adopted the 2007 Drayage Truck Regulation to reduce emissions. The regulation was amended in 2010 and sunsets on December 31, 2022. On January 1, 2023, drayage trucks must be compliant with the emissions requirements of the Truck and Bus Regulation and meet a 2010 or newer model year engine standard.