There’s the West,Then There’s California

At a recent public hearing in South Gate, Calif., angry residents demanded a ban on diesel-powered trucks because they believed diesel exhaust to be a health hazard.

The scene was similar to one played out in 1989 when the mayor of Los Angeles proposed a ban on trucks in the city to relieve congestion and ease air pollution.

No truck ban was implemented in Los Angeles and none is expected in South Gate. However, as these two incidents illustrate, the environment remains a hot political issue in the state and is the single biggest reason that trucking in California is different from every other state in the West — in the country, for that matter.

Since 1993, the California Air Resources Board has mandated that trucks use a special low-sulfur diesel fuel that costs, on average, 6 cents a gallon more than the national average for diesel. Over the past year, with diesel prices rising nationwide, shortages of CARB diesel pushed prices well above $2 a gallon.

California truckers are required to do annual smog tests at a cost of about $60 for each vehicle. Tractors and trailers must be inspected every 90 days rather than once a year as required by federal regulations.

For the full story, see the Jan. 8 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.