EPA exempts out-of-state fleets from California Clean Truck Check inspections
On Jan. 27, the EPA ruled that California’s Clean Truck Check program does not apply to commercial vehicles registered out-of-state or out-of-country. That means diesel and alt-fuel trucks weighing over 14,000 lb. GVWR no longer have to get scanned or inspected to determine if they generate excessive emissions.
The inspection will stay in place for those registered in California.
The EPA contends this rule goes beyond the invention of the Clean Air Act to promote clean air quality within states by interrupting interstate commerce and superseding federal authority over foreign policy matters.
This news was expected, as last August, the EPA, led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, issued a proposal to exempt trucks and buses not registered in California, arguing that the California’s Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance Regulation violates the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause and Section 110 of the Clean Air Act.
“The Trump EPA will never back down from holding California accountable and stopping them from imposing unnecessary regulations on the entire nation,” Zeldin stated, offering that removing the rule is part of Trump’s agenda to boost freight activity and reduce prices for American families.
President Trump’s EPA also sued California Air Resource Board last August over the state’s enforcement of the Clean Truck Partnership with heavy-duty trucks OEMs, despite not having the CAA waivers to enforce regulations related to NOx and manufacturing electric trucks.
About the Author
John Hitch
Editor-in-chief, Fleet Maintenance
John Hitch is the award-winning editor-in-chief of Fleet Maintenance, where his mission is to provide maintenance leaders and technicians with the the latest information on tools, strategies, and best practices to keep their fleets' commercial vehicles moving.
He is based out of Cleveland, Ohio, and has worked in the B2B journalism space for more than a decade. Hitch was previously senior editor for FleetOwner and before that was technology editor for IndustryWeek and and managing editor of New Equipment Digest.
Hitch graduated from Kent State University and was editor of the student magazine The Burr in 2009.
The former sonar technician served honorably aboard the fast-attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723), where he participated in counter-drug ops, an under-ice expedition, and other missions he's not allowed to talk about for several more decades.