Dec 2, 2011 10:09 AM

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently approved an amendment to the Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) regulation that allows compliance dates to be extended for a limited time if compliance equipment has been ordered, but there is a delay in delivery or installation that prevents compliance by the deadline.

For model year 2004 engines, owners must make a good-faith effort to comply by the end of 2011. Purchase orders for compliance equipment need to be placed early enough to take into account delivery, installation, holiday, and year-end lead times. If compliance cannot be achieved by December 31, 2011, due to delays in delivery, installation, or financing, reefer owners may apply for a compliance extension.

To qualify for a compliance extension, the reefer must be registered in Air Resources Board Equipment Registration (ARBER) and a compliance extension application with attached supporting documentation must be received at CARB by Dec 31, 2011.

For equipment that has been ordered but not received, attached documentation must include a purchase order that includes the date the order was placed and a written statement from the compliance equipment supplier that provides the original estimated delivery date and the delivery schedule updated within the past 30 days.

For equipment that has been ordered and received, but not installed, attached documentation must include a purchase order that includes the date the order was placed and the date the equipment was received. Attached documentation must also include a written statement from the installer that provides the original estimated installation date and the installation schedule updated within the past 30 days.

For delays due to a financing application that has been completed and submitted, but the financial institution has not completed its processing, the attached documentation must include a written statement from the financial institution that explains the reason for the delayed processing and an estimate of the date that processing will be completed. Non-compliance due to denied financing does not qualify.

A link to the TRU Compliance Extension Application Form is at www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/tru/tru.htm.

Questions about compliance can be answered by calling the TRU Helpline at 888-878-2826 or 916-327-8737.