CARB previews ‘smog check’ for heavy-duty trucks; phase-in begins 1 Jan
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently previewed the Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance Program (HD I/M), which is due to begin phasing in on 1 Jan 2023 (earlier post), at an enforcement truck event held at the Port of Los Angeles. CARB used the event, where more than 1,200 trucks...
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The HD I/M program will apply to all heavy-duty trucks, buses, agricultural equipment and personal motorhomes with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of more than 14,000 pounds traveling in the state regardless of whether they are registered in California.
While the heavy-duty vehicles under this program represent only 3% of all vehicles on California roads, they are responsible for more than half of all harmful smog-causing pollution and fine particulate matter from mobile sources in the state
In the first phase of the program, beginning in January 2023, the Portable Emissions Acquisition System (PEAQS)—a roadside monitoring system that measures truck emissions—will be deployed in various areas to screen for potential high-emitting vehicles operating on California roads.
Vehicles flagged by the monitoring devices will be required to undergo an additional emissions test to verify their emissions-control equipment is functioning properly and repair any malfunctioning emission control equipment, if necessary.
Emissions inspections are designed to minimize downtime and the inconvenience to owners/ operators. Unlike passenger car smog checks, heavy-duty vehicle owners will be able to complete the required test and deliver emissions systems inspection information remotely without having to travel to designated testing locations. The test can be conducted anywhere using the truck’s OBD system or stand-alone scan tool provided it’s performed by a CARB-credentialed tester using a CARB-certified readout device.