Cost of diesel retrofit troubles truck owners
Faced with the costly prospect of coming up with thousands of dollars for new equipment in a shaky economy, trucking companies are trying to stave off new regulations on diesel emissions.
The California Air Resources Board is scheduled to vote on Dec. 11 whether to phase in a program to force trucks to be retrofitted with controls to reduce much of the dangerous soot air pollution produced by diesel engines.
The owners of trucking companies - many of which own only a few trucks and have limited access to capital - say they won't be able to secure financing in this economy to afford the retrofits, or buy new trucks if the equipment doesn't do the job.
Two owners of smaller operations in Inland Southern California held a press conference Tuesday in Ontario, and similar events are being scheduled in other parts of the state.
Also, several Inland trucking executives say they will make the trip to Sacramento this week when the Air Resources Board holds a hearing on the regulation before voting.
Valerie Liese, president of Jack Jones Trucking Inc. in Ontario, said she is for cleaner air, as are most of her industry colleagues.
"We're not saying no to this, but we want some flexibility in getting there," Liese said. "There clearly has been a dramatic shift in the economic situation."
The regulations, which would be phased in over several years, would also cover buses, including school buses, and other large diesel vehicles.
Truckers would be forced to spend between $15,000 and $25,000 per truck for the retrofits, and Liese said some models could cost as much as $60,000. When she bought three new diesel rigs earlier this year, she said she paid $86,000 each for the trucks without the refit.
Outlays like that are not something a trucking firm can handle in this economy, owners say. The industry is suffering from a year of high fuel prices and a sharp drop in demand. Liese's company owns 50 trucks, but she said 12 are currently parked because there are not enough loads to move. She was forced to lay off two employees last week.
The Air Resources Board currently consists of 10 people appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with one vacancy. They represent a cross-section of business people, a lawyer, two physicians, an environmentalist, and board members of Air Quality Management Districts from across the state, including Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge.
Karen Caesar, information officer for the ARB, admitted that these regulations will not be popular but said in a recent interview the board needs to pass them to follow federal mandates on air quality. She added that pushing the decision back until the economy improves "is not an option."
"The last significant source of diesel emissions are large trucks," Caesar said. "They're not being singled out."
