The latest news out of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is not good for transportation companies. Recently, Schneider and Old Dominion Freight Line both settled with CARB for violations under the Truck and Bus Rule for a combined total of $225,000, plus additional costs on air filtration projects in the State. These recent fines follow two other violations for Marten Logistics for $100,000 and Roadrunner Transportation Systems for $52,250 as a result of violating a record keeping regulation associated with CARB’s Truck and Bus Rules.
CARB said Schneider operated 150 trucks in California from 2013 to 2016 without the required Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) systems and failed to verify that nearly 1,200 of the carriers it hired in California complied with the state’s regulations. Schneider will pay a $125,000 penalty and spend $350,000 on air filtration projects at schools located near freeways in the Los Angeles area.
Old Dominion, between 2013 and 2016, operated 116 diesel trucks in California without the required DPF systems, according to EPA, and the company did not verify 64 of the carriers it hired in the state. Old Dominion will pay a $100,000 penalty and spend $225,000 on air filtration projects at schools in the Rialto area.
To help protect your business and demonstrate a certain level of due diligence, TIA has recently released an updated model Broker-Carrier contract and a model certification addendum. The certification addendum is a key piece to consider using to demonstrate due diligence when a motor carrier does not have an official CARB certificate on file. There are several exemptions and examples, where a motor carrier does not need to register with the CARB system, and this model certification is the required step for 3PLs to take to demonstrate compliance.
TIA staff will continue to work on finding solutions to address this issue and continue working with Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address these concerns.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Chris Burroughs at burroughs@tianet.org or 703-299-5705.