I have a 1989 Freightliner FLC112, a Vac Truck w/3600 Gallon tank. I want to get on as a gray water truck for Cal Fire for the 2017 wild fire season. My question is can I run this truck legally with SE Plates. I have no idea about Air Resourse Board other than what I'm reading and I think I'm SOL. When was Tier 3 engines made and what Tier is mine other than big ol alligator TEARS. If this truck is no longer legal in Calif, I'm in trouble. Can someone please help me or direct me to the place with answers. Thanks.
Tier # is something that only really applies to off road equipment. Tier 3 only came along in the 2000s sometimes. On road trucks have their CARB calculations done by model year but there are a lot of similarities with Tier standards. Yours would probably be a Tier 0 or Tier 1 at best. There are exemptions for fire vehicles and less than 1,000 miles or maybe they changed it to 10,000. The rules are insanely crazy and stupid and they change all the time. If you call the beast they will never give a straight answer because they don't know themselves and they don't want to be responsible for decisions you might make depending on their answer. I have a friend who works inside the beast, not making any of this up. It is awful.
Based on my experience with emissions and Cali there are some exceptions. Mileage being one, the area you work being another and I've also heard when working for the fire dept or any natural disaster type event anything and everything goes. Honestly while I know they're legit laws I seldom hear of them really being enforced outside of ports and heavily populated areas. That doesn't come from hearsay that's from running out there over the years and staying in contact with guys who run there week in and out. Some in late model complaint stuff and some not . I know last time I ran to the Bay Area there were lots of trucks hauling from AZ through Tehachapi etc that were darn sure not legal. So who knows.
I also heard from a local super dump guy, who is compliant, that they pulled in one of his trucks on the other side of the valley and were hopping mad, wrote what I think was a $10,000+ ticket. I don't know how they could have written it because it depends on all the trucks in the fleet and one truck by itself is no indication if the fleet is compliant. The funny part of this story is they later wrote him a letter actually apologizing and retracting said fine. He was flabbergasted that the government apologized for anything.
Yes I made that call, was on hold until I hung up. Went to DMV to see what they wanted for plates. Just money. Nothing about being Carb Compliant. Made appointment for health certication. I just don't get it. Are they setting up inspections if so what happens when it don't pass. A hefty fine I imagine. I only need one fire season.
The way I hear it DMV and CHP wanted nothing to do with CARB's over the top, super complicated, impossible to understand, mickey mouse bunch of regulations. They can't figure them out themselves, no way another agency could figure them out. So it is up to them to enforce them themselves which they do in a halfhearted and haphazard way but if they slap you, boy howdy, look out.
Mileage at most would be about 4K a year. This is gray water from the fire base camp. Maybe one truck full every three days. Calif is regulated out. No wonder people are going east. They make it hard to make a living. I'm close to Tehachapi and I see all the trucks that are still blowing smoke up the grade. How can everyone afford to buy a new rig and make a living. I put a lot into these trucks, it would break my heart to find out they are no longer allowed on the road.
i cant afford to put a compliant engine in. Hell My white Road Boss has been with me longer than my wife. A lot of trucks going for cheap in California.
Here is the CARB truck website: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/reportinginfo.htm You may be able to register for a low-use vehicle exemption. The last information, not sure if it is up-to-date as they keep changing things, is that will get you less than 1,000 miles a year in CA or 5,000 miles total. Technically they say you are supposed to opt in a new vehicle within 30 days, not sure how they check on that. https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/documents/faqLowuse.pdf Maybe you can find another exemption that would work, too. Another thing they want is low rolling resistant tires, but if you don't have them you can register for a short-haul exemption. The only bright spot I can offer is, as Birken Vogt said, the CHP does not like them and they only go out with them when forced. As an officer told me, CARB does not have the authority to stop us, they need the CHP with them. Doesn't mean they don't try, and with signs they have taken from the CHP.