Zero-Emission Trucks: TRSA, Shippers & Manufacturers Confer with CA Leaders

California Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) office, in conjunction with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), recently hosted a high-level meeting on the potential of new rules for fleets that would require the use of near-zero and zero-emission vehicle technologies. The meeting featured several of the nation’s largest fleets, including J.B. Hunt, PepsiCo, FedEx, UPS, Sysco and TRSA. Truck manufacturers were represented by General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Daimler, Navistar, PACCAR, Tesla, Motiv and Volvo.

Due to the large number of vehicles in TRSA members’ fleets and the potential for substantial costs associated with a future regulation, TRSA was one of the select few participants in this discussion. Dave Perun, group vice president of Cintas Corp., was present to represent the linen, uniform and facility services industry.

California’s regulators are under increasing pressure to implement as many zero-emission vehicles as possible and establish the needed electric infrastructure projects. Also, truck manufacturers are lobbying Sacramento hard to establish a regulatory framework that could put increased costs on TRSA member companies. It’s expected that a regulatory framework could be released in the winter of 2018-’19, with final Board approval in 2019. In the next couple of months, it’s expected that the Air Resources Board will conduct additional stakeholder meetings that TRSA members should attend.

In addition to this development, California also has announced nearly $800 million in incentives for electric transportation charging infrastructure, and over $400 million in vehicle incentives that TRSA member fleets can use. TRSA members interested in these incentive opportunities should contact TRSA’s Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Schwalb at kschwalb@trsa.org.