Three trucking companies fined for violating CARB’s Truck and Bus Regulation

October 19, 2020

Tyson Fisher

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with three trucking companies for violating the California Air Resources Board’s Truck and Bus Regulation.

On Oct. 16, the EPA announced the three settlements totaling $417,000 in penalties for trucking companies that violated CARBS’s Truck and Bus Regulation, Drayage Truck Regulations and Transport Refrigeration Unit Regulation.

Roadrunner Transportation Systems must pay a $117,000 civil penalty and use compliant trucks moving forward. The trucking company did not have diesel particulate filters per the Truck and Bus Regulation. Also, Roadrunner operated unregistered and noncompliant drayage trucks. Furthermore, the company hired carriers to transport goods in California without verifying that the vehicles were in compliance, and dispatched drayage trucks without required record-keeping.

The Boise Cascade Co. will pay a $175,000 civil penalty. That company failed to verify that hired carriers complied with the Truck and Bus Regulation.

Ruan Transportation Management Systems must pay a $125,000 penalty. Ruan used trucks that did not have the required diesel particulate filters. Also, the company did not verify compliance with the Truck and Bus Regulation for hired carriers. According to a news release, Ruan is the first company cited by EPA for failing to timely meet specified particulate matter emission reductions in transport refrigeration equipment under California requirements.

“As trucks are one of the largest sources of air pollution in California, EPA will continue to ensure these heavy-duty vehicles have the needed pollution-control equipment and operate in compliance with the rules,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud said in a statement. “These companies have agreed to bring their trucks into compliance and operate more cleanly in all communities they serve.”

The latest Truck and Bus Regulation settlements are larger compared to previous settlements.

Earlier this year, CARB announced a batch of settlements for eight companies. Those settlements totaled more than $130,000, with the largest settlement reaching nearly $41,000.

The Truck and Bus Regulation requires heavy-duty diesel vehicles that operate in California to reduce toxic air contaminant emissions from their exhaust. By 2023, nearly all trucks and buses must have 2010 or newer model year engines to reduce particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen emissions. LL