01/02/2023
https://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/local/new-diesel-regulation-puts-pressure-on-local-truck-businesses/article_2a657b4a-88ab-11ed-8671-1bae62805693.html
New diesel regulation puts pressure on local truck businesses
By: Margot Rowe
OROVILLE, Calif.- A new regulation on diesel trucks set by the California Air Resources Board is set to take effect on New Years Day. The aim is to cut emissions from semi trucks and other big-rig commercial diesel vehicles but the cost might be too much of a burden for local businesses.
The founder and owner of Crosswell Trucking, Jace Crosswell says his business is going through a major change due to the new regulation.
"This will dramatically affect my business, I'll have to get rid of employees probably and sell the trucks somewhere," said Crosswell.
The new regulation will ban truck engines 2010 and older from California roads. Crosswell has several trucks that will be banned starting Sunday.
"I'll be down from 7 to 8 trucks down to 2. Back to where I started basically," said Crosswell.
Crosswell started his business over 20 years ago delivering materials for construction work, nurseries, home owners, and other businesses. The new regulations limits Crosswell so much, he had to downsize, even turn away clients who are too far from his business.
"As far as customers go, I had to turn them away anymore because I can't keep up with my local customers for their gravel. There's many of them that have called and say "hey, we want some gravel" up in sometimes rural areas and I say well "I can't make it up there I don't have enough trucks anymore, because of this law, I'm sorry but i probably won't be hauling to you anymore," said Crosswell.
Crosswell isn't the only one impacted.
"A lot of friends are having the same effect I am. Especially in my size of company. bigger companies seem to be able to endure the cost a little easier. Us small guys with only a few trucks are really the ones who take the burden," said Crosswell.
In order to stay in business, Crosswell had put his entire life into this company trying to update or buy new trucks.
"Empty my savings account, take a second [loan] on my house, try to find anything that I can find to endure the cost of updating these trucks," said Crosswell.
Crosswell told Action News Now he has seen other company owners sell their trucks or move out of the state to operate and he's taken those options into consideration.
The California Air Resources Board starts a regulation on diesel staring January 1st and it could impact local trucking businesses.