California hopes new standards for diesel vehicles, including lift trucks, will help people breathe a little easier while improving air quality. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is making plans to adopt new fleet average emission targets for all diesel-powered vehicles with 25 horsepower or greater.

The new rule requires vehicles to be shut down rather than allowed to idle for more than five minutes. There are exceptions to the rule if the vehicle is idling for proper and necessary operation of the vehicle. The rule is not set to begin until 2008 and will apply to all diesel trucks; however it will take several years for the emissions standards to be grafted in. Trucks are classified by size in groups determined by horsepower. Each size truck will have a designated date to reach these new emission targets.

The largest fleets, trucks with more than 20,000 horsepower, will have until March 1, 2009 to reach the new standards. Medium fleets whose horsepower is between 1,500 and 20,000 will have until March 1, 2010, while small fleets with less than 1,500 horsepower will have until March 1, 2012 to meet their targets.

CARB has given users three options to meet the new standards. These options include: retrofit lift trucks with emission control devices, re-power trucks with cleaner engines, or replace lift trucks with cleaner vehicles.

All diesel fleets will be required to meet new emission standard targets for particulate matter, while large and medium fleets will also have to meet targets for oxide and nitrogen. For more information, visit www.arb.ca.gov as it releases details later this summer.