ARB Regulatory Training for Truck Sellers & Owners

Truck Sellers/Dealers--Mark your calendars!

On July 21st and 22nd, California Air Resources Board (CARB) will provide training for California sellers of trucks, buses, and trailers. Training will provide information on regulatory requirements affecting truck, bus and trailer owners, tools for compliance assistance, and seller disclosure requirements.

July 21 Training: El Monte, CA

July 22 Training: Sacramento,CA

The July 22nd training will also be available by webcast. If you cannot attend one of the scheduled trainings, CARB staff is offering to host a pre-arranged online interactive trainings. For more information visit the training webpage at:  http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/training.htm

ARB provides more funding for small fleet retrofits!

Good news for small fleet owners and operators. The California Air Resources Board has $28 million in grants monies available through its Voucher Incentive Program (VIP). This funding is designated to help independent truckers and small fleet owners replace or retrofit older, diesel trucks before California’s regulatory deadlines.
Just a few of the facts you need to know about this program:

• funding is only available for small fleets: One to Three trucks
• diesel particulate filters must be installed on non-compliant older vehicles by 2011
• VIP grants of up to $10,000 per truck are available for trucks that aren't too close to retirement.
• trucks to receive DPF retrofit money must have a 2004-2006 model year diesel engine.
• vehicles must have a gross weight of at least 19,501 pounds.
• the vehicles must be registered in California for at least the past two years and must operate 75% of the time within the state.
• minimum vehicle mileage is 15,000 miles per year
• there is help for financing the rest of the retrofit cost, find more information here: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/truckstop/funding/loans_fa.htm
• you can get funding even if you are in an urban area
• grant applications are usually approved or denied in 5 business days

The FULL Press Release from CARB is available online.

For more information contact us at 1-877-432-6649 or call the ARB diesel hotline at 866-6DIESEL (866-634-3735) or visit www.arb.ca.gov/truckstop

How to Chose a DPF Installer/Dealer

As we all know many problems can arise when vehicles are serviced by unskilled professional mechanics. When it's time to chose a installation center for your diesel particulate filter (DPF), don't take any chances.  As with any integral exhaust part, IMPROPER installation of a DPF can cause major engine and exhaust system damage.  To avoid these problems we've compiled a list of qualities your installer/dealer SHOULD HAVE.  

Service Centers/Dealers should:

▪ Have extensive knowledge of state emission regulations that impact diesel powered engine vehicles and equipment. You want a DPF that will satisfy your local regulations.

▪ Evaluate and Identify Cost-effective solutions. Make sure that your service center is familiar with your particular duty cycle and needs, along with available DPFs and offers a solution that takes into account all of those factors.

▪ Be certified to properly apply, install, and maintain your diesel particulate filter. DPFs differ greatly. Be sure your mechanic is familiar with the specific installation and maintenance requirements of your chosen DPF.

▪ Provide retrofit warranty repairs. Should anything ever go wrong, it is important to be able to return to a reliable dealer who is already familiar with your retrofit product line.

▪ Offer funding identification and application assistance. Dealers can be one of the most valuable resources for finding the right funding for your project. Ideally they work with a variety of emission retrofit applications and are familiar with the options.

At Econix, we ensure that our Authorized Econix® dealers are committed to the same values and held to the high standards to which we hold ourselves.  For more details on Authorized Econix dealers see the blog post here.

CARB, The Latest Word: Off and On-Road Diesel Regulations

Do you want to know what is going on with these regulations?  We do! The California Air Resources Board (CARB), the governmental body behind the diesel emissions rules, is conducting workshops around California to discuss the proposed amendments to the Regulation for In-Use Off Road Diesel Fueled Fleets (off-road regulation), the In-Use Heavy-Duty Diesel-Fueled Vehicles Regulation (truck and bus regulation), and the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Regulation (tractor-trailer GHG regulation).  Don't worry if you aren't near any of the workshop locations, the workshop on June 28th in Sacramento will be webcast and available online, so tune in for that!

1. Sacramento: (will also be webcast)
   Date: Monday, June 28, 2010 Time: 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Location: Air Resources Board
   Byron Sher Auditorium
   1001 I Street
   Sacramento, California 95814
   http://www.arb.ca.gov/maps/sactomap.htm
2. EI Monte
   Date: Thursday, July 1, 2010 Time: 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Location: Air Resources Board
   Auditorium, Annex 4
   9530 Telstar Avenue
   EI Monte, California 91731
   http://www.arb.ca.gov/maps/elmomaps.htm
3. San Diego
   Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2010 Time: 10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Location: San Diego County
   Administration Center
   1600 Pacific Highway
   San Diego, California 92101

To read the CARB notice with additional information click here. And if you are in the greater LA area, we'll see you at the El Monte workshop! Look for us in shirts that say Econix!

Are You Newsworthy? Top Tips to Get Publicity for Your Diesel Retrofit Project

Recent emissions standards and the requirement of lowering diesel particulate matter have been controversial issues during this economic recession; however, if you are reducing emissions in your community, that’s good news for everyone’s health! And in times like these, a little good news can go a long way.

Tell Them About It:

So go ahead and share the good news that your organization is doing something to help reduce your carbon footprint and clean up your community’s air.

Here are a few tips on how to get the word out about your carbon reducing activities:

• Get Some Press. Send out a press release to your local newspapers and call the local news reporters to let them know what your organization is doing to help clean up your community’s air.
• Share Online. Post a new article on your blog or website announcing the details of what you’ve accomplished or what you are planning to accomplish.
• Connect with Your Network. Use Twitter or Facebook to announce your website/blog post or just post a new status update such as “We just retrofitted another truck with a new DPF, doing our part to help us all breathe a little easier.”
• Share with Your Community. If your organization is a municipality or utility, contribute an article/announcement to your local city/county website or newsletter.

Why should readers care about your project?
Remember whichever methods you choose to spread the word about your diesel-do-good activities be sure to communicate the “newsworthy” aspects of your project. This may vary slightly from community to community, but here are a few ideas for newsworthy angles:

• Talk about the toll diesel exhaust takes and how your actions will reduce them (i.e. help the health of your community).
• Personal stories of how your actions are helping clean the air. (i.e. how much better your drivers feel about running cleaner vehicles around town, etc.)
• Total up the estimated diesel PM reduction to give people a tangible idea of how much cleaner the air is with your retrofitted vehicles. (resources below)

Here are a few resources to help you spread the word:

• Health toll of diesel exhaust/particulate matter information (so you can demonstrate why your retrofit project is so important)

            o Reducing Diesel's Toll on Our Health (Econix blog)
            o ARB Summary of Adverse Impacts of Diesel Particulate Matter
            o ARB Report on Diesel Health Effects
            o NRDC's Report on Diesel
            o ARB Diesel fact sheet
            o New England Journal of Medicine: Diesel effects on children

• Positive effects of diesel retrofits/Climate change regulations:

            o Updated AB 32 Scoping Plan Economic Analysis
            o Washington State University Extension Report on Diesel Particulate Filters
            o  Clean Air Task Force: Benefits of Reducing Emissions  Great stats (at bottom of this web page)

• Resources on how to write a press release

              o http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.asp
              o http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Press-Release

Finally here's a great example of a fleet getting some positive press on their  efforts: http://www.truckinginfo.com/clean-green/news-detail.asp?news_id=70088&news_category_id=94

Good luck in spreading the word on your diesel emissions project! Let us know how it goes or if you have any questions by leaving a comment below or emailing.

CARB Announces NEW Relief for Independent Truckers!

California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced changes to the existing $28 million financial assistance program on May 19, 2010.  These new changes are reported to help significantly more California independent truckers comply with CARB regulations, by providing more grants for diesel retrofit and new vehicle purchases.

This is good news for California truckers who have felt the sting of the recent economic recession. These funds are designed to help small fleets who are in the most need of financial assistance. 

“The board understands the need to expand our financial assistance programs and these changes give more small fleet and individual truck owners access to money to clean up their vehicles,” said CARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “This will help a lot of small business owners comply with the law, and also ensure we continue the state's efforts to fight pollution from diesel trucks and clean up the air."

If you are an independent trucker considering a diesel retrofit here's some great news:  the new changes to the funding program include a new funding option of up to $10,000 per truck for an exhaust retrofit. 

For more information on whether or not you qualify please contact us at:  1-877-432-6649 or info@econixusa.com or contact one of our dealers directly to obtain a voucher.  Remember these grants are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

For the full press release from the CARB website click here:  http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/2010/nr051910c.htm

DPF Installation: The Importance of Using an Authorized Dealer

You have a talented organization, filled with skilled technicians, and you want to perform your own Econix DPF-A installations. Why are you required to go to an Econix dealer for installation?

The Econix-DPF-A installers are trained, tested and certified to make sure they install the unit correctly the first time. 
Here are a few key areas where the Econix Dealers excel:

Experience: No vehicle was designed with retrofit in mind. The Econix Dealers have experience installing the DPF-A on a wide range of vehicles from Sweepers and Patch Trucks to Refuse Haulers. Their experiences have allowed them to perform installations with minimal to no impact on the functionality of the vehicle. Additionally, the dealers have all the tools on hand to quickly perform an installation while minimizing vehicle down time.

Safety: The Econix DPF-A dealer will perform the DPF installation in a manner that will be safe for the vehicle, the vehicle's occupants and other personnel. All DPF technologies have heat-related safety issues. The DPF is, after all, a vehicle for exhaust gases. The dealer will implement strategies to insure that all of the vehicle's systems will be protected from any heat generated by the DPF-A. The dealer will also provide thermal shielding and thermal wrapping where necessary to assure that the DPF-A and its new exhaust system will be safe for all who may come in contact with it.

Serviceability: The Econix Dealer will perform the installation in a manner that accommodates quick and simple serviceability of the Econix DPF-A. This assures that in the upcoming years all necessary work on the DPF-A can be done in a quick and efficient manner.

Warranty: Our Econix Dealers certify the installations for 5 years. The installation techniques used by the dealers insure that the filter will not be damaged by the installation and that the installations are performed at the highest quality levels.

To find an Econix Dealer near you, please visit our dealer page on our website, or call us toll free at 1-877-4Econix.