April 15–16, 2014
CRA Board of Directors Meeting - San Diego, CA

July 15–16, 2014
CRA Board of Directors Meeting - Lake Tahoe, CA

July 17–21, 2014
CRA RV Campout - Lake Tahoe, CA

See CRA's Calendar page for more information on our upcoming events.

 

CRA's 2014 Rental Rally Tradeshow is scheduled for January 14 and 15 in Southern California, at the Fairplex in Pomona. The tradeshow will include two days of equipment, party and services exhibits and an outdoor equipment display/demo area. Store tours, an opening cocktail party and a show banquet are also planned. Thank you to exhibitors who have recently signed up! Click on "Learn More" to see this list of exhibitors and more information about the show.
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Kubota Corporation has appointed Masato Yoshikawa as the new President of Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC), based in Torrance, Calif. Yoshikawa is a 32-year Kubota veteran and most recently held the position of General Manager, Corporate Planning & Control Department for Kubota Corporation, headquartered in Osaka, Japan.
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In a November 5th press release, Billy Goat Industries reported on its new BC2600 series, which will be the same great Outback® brushcutter, but with next-generation features, ergonomics and productivity. The new series features a wider 26" deck for increased productivity; higher tip speed for better cut quality; a rubberized rear deck trim for added stump clearance in reverse; heavier spindle assembly; improved shifting at the control panel for operator comfort; a shifting linkage for longer cable life; thicker and wider ergonomic handles; and a low engine oil alarm for improved reliability.
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Mi-T-M Corporation recently introduced a 2700 PSI model to its popular Work Pro Series (WP Series) consumer pressure washer line. This completely mobile cold-water model features a 196cc Kohler overhead valve engine and provides the perfect amount of pressure needed for jobs around the house and farm.
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Wayne Harris, President and CEO of Point-of-Rental™ Systems, marked his 20th anniversary with the rental management software company on Friday, October 11. The milestone was celebrated with cake at the office headquarters in Grand Prairie, Texas, and dinner with previous owners, Bob Shaffer and Steve Husbands, from whom Harris bought the company in 2011.
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RDO-Vermeer has made investments to enhance both its Lakeside and Salinas, Calif., locations. The new facilities offer expanded shop and fabricating space and easier access. "These facility upgrades will help RDO-Vermeer continue to provide quality service support to our customers in northern and southern California," says Marshall Anderson, Vice President of Vermeer division, RDO Equipment Co.
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Genie recently introduces its newly-upgraded Genie® GTH™-5519 compact telehandler. The new Genie GTH-5519 is an ideal workhorse for today’s jobsites. As a general-purpose machine, it can fit into tight spaces, help unload trucks, and efficiently carry tools such as augers and sweepers. The new unit was purposefully designed to offer a Tier 4 final engine to meet today’s emission standards. Not only does the new machine comply with the latest standards, it also incorporates a number of other improvements offering benefits to customers.
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Despite the difficult economic climate, Munich-based light and compact equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson reported an upturn in business in the third quarter of 2013. The Group remains committed to its forecast for 2013. Wacker Neuson Group revenue for the third quarter rose 8.6 percent relative to the previous year to reach EUR 276.3 million (Q3 2012: EUR 254.5 million). Adjusted to discount currency fluctuations, this corresponds to an increase of 13 percent.
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The November 8th CalChamber Alert Newsletter reported that California businesses should be aware of two recent updates regarding ADA compliance. For a number of years, the business community has been victim to a small but widely destructive, atypical group of plaintiffs and lawyers using the disability laws and court system to seek monetary profits rather than access. The result has been unnecessary, costly litigation for significant numbers of California businesses across the state, with many of them closing their doors for good. In 2012, California Chamber of Commerce-supported legislation to limit frivolous litigation connected with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. SB 1186 also promotes increased compliance with disability accessibility building codes throughout the state.
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The Labor Law Corner in the November 8th CalChamber Alert Newsletter reported that holiday pay is not mandatory in California; therefore it is completely within a company’s discretion whether to pay an incentive (overtime) rate to employees who work on holidays.
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The weekly U.S. average regular gasoline retail price has fallen by more than 40 cents per gallon since the beginning of September. EIA's forecast for the regular gasoline retail price averages $3.24 per gallon in the fourth quarter of 2013, $0.10 per gallon less than forecast in last month's STEO. The annual average regular gasoline retail price, which was $3.63 per gallon in 2012, is expected to average $3.50 per gallon in 2013 and $3.39 per gallon in 2014.
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In a November 15th article on foxandhoundsdaily.com, political analyst Tony Quinn gave his viewpoint on the first efforts to implement Obamacare in California: "Three months ago, California had six million people with no health insurance; now thanks to Obamacare’s forced cancellations in the individual market, that number has risen to well over seven million (Associated Press says 7,471,000). Yet despite this, the first six weeks of sign-ups on the state’s insurance exchange are pretty paltry – only 59,000 enrolled in new policies out of the 7.4 million uninsured Californians. This amounts to less than one percent of the uninsured."
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All diesel-fueled trucks, buses, trailers and transportation refrigeration units operating in California, including those based out of state, have requirements to reduce air pollution and improve the state's overall air quality. Avoid penalties due to manufacturer delay — order soot filters by September 1, 2013 to meet January 1, 2014 requirements for the Truck & Bus Regulation. Only purchase CARB-verified filters. Check before you buy! See the DPF handbook: A Truck Driver’s Guide to Care and Maintenance of Diesel Particulate Filters.
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The ARB's Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection Program and Periodic Smoke Inspection Program were adopted into law in 1988 to control excessive smoke emissions and tampering from heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. The regulations Title 13 CCR, sections 2180-2189 for HDVIP and Title 13 CCR, sections 2190-2194 for PSIP, which govern these programs, were last amended in 2013.

The HDVIP program requires heavy-duty trucks and buses to be inspected for excessive smoke and tampering and for engine certification label compliance. Any heavy-duty vehicle traveling in California, including vehicles registered in other states and foreign countries, may be tested. Tests are performed by ARB inspection teams at border crossings, CHP weigh stations, fleet facilities and randomly selected roadside locations. Owners of trucks and buses found in violation are subject to minimum penalties starting at $300 per violation.
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Owners or Operators of portable engines and certain other types of equipment can register their units under the Air Resources Board's (ARB) Statewide Portable Equipment Registration Program (PERP) in order to operate their equipment throughout California without having to obtain individual permits from local air districts. The following sections will assist you with the PERP registration process and present facts on the Portable Diesel Engine Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM).

As of January 1, 2013, the Portable Engine Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) fleet standards are in effect. The ATCM requires owners of portable engines to submit a statement of compliance signed by a Responsible Official to the Air Resources Board by March 1, 2013. In addition to the statement of compliance, a summary that identifies each portable engine in the fleet and the associated emission rate (g/bhp-hr) must be included.

Considering Making Changes to Your Fleet? The ATCM also requires owners to ensure that the average PM emission level for their fleet does not fall out of compliance due to changes in the composition of the fleet. Buying, selling, or modifying engines could result in a fleet becoming noncompliant. PERP registrants considering adding, removing and/or modifying engines in their fleet are strongly encouraged to re-calculate their fleet average to ensure that the fleet is still compliant with the applicable standard before submitting requests to ARB.
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The small off-road engine (SORE) category consists of off-road spark-ignition engines below 25 horsepower, including small utility equipment, lawn mowers and weed trimmers. This category does not include compression-ignition engines, watercraft or recreational vehicles. ARB has a page on its website that includes general information regarding small off-road engines and ARB's SORE program. Click on "Learn More" to access this page.
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The regulation requires diesel trucks and buses that operate in California to be upgraded to reduce emissions. Heavier trucks must be retrofitted with particulate matter (PM) filters beginning January 1, 2012, and older trucks must be replaced starting January 1, 2015. By January 1, 2023, nearly all trucks and buses will need to have 2010 model year engines or equivalent.

What's New? Advisory on Extension of Particulate Matter Filter Requirement for Certain Types of Cranes (July 10, 2013) Mail-Out 13-17 provides a PM filter compliance extension for certain types of cranes until January 1, 2018 and explains how compliance is determined when using the extension.
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This area of the Off-Road Mobile Sources website pertains to off-road large spark-ignition (LSI) equipment greater than 25 horsepower, including farm, construction, and industrial equipment, powered by gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other alternate fuels. Typical applications that use LSI engines include forklifts, specialty vehicles, airport service vehicles, large turf care equipment, portable generators, and a wide array of other agricultural, construction, and general industrial equipment. The U.S. EPA has sole authority to control new farm and construction equipment under 175 horsepower.
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On July 26, 2007, the Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted a regulation to reduce diesel particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from in-use (existing) off-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles in California. For more information, please call the diesel vehicle information hotline at (866) 6-DIESEL or (866) 634-3735.

Posted April 23, 2013: The revised Fleet Average Calculator for large fleets is now available. The calculator is for the large fleet January 1, 2014 compliance date only. The Fleet Average Calculator is an Excel spreadsheet designed to assist fleet owners in calculating their Fleet Average Index and Fleet Average Targets, based on the equipment model year and horsepower input. The calculator allows fleets to experiment with different turnover, repower and retrofit strategies to plan for compliance with the in-use off-road diesel vehicle regulation.
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The Truck and Bus Regulation will reduce diesel exhaust emissions from privately owned and federal government diesel trucks and buses. Privately and publicly owned school buses have different requirements and do not need to be reported. This CARB site has the Truck Regulations Upload and Compliance Reporting System (TRUCRS) and was last reviewed July 25, 2013.
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In December 2011 major amendments to the Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation, which include delaying the first compliance date to no earlier than January 1, 2014, became effective. The changes to the regulation are reflected in the fact sheets, advisories and answers to frequently asked questions available on the Knowledge Center for the Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation Web page.
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Driving Toward a Cleaner California (DTCC) is a coalition of owner-operators, farmers, construction contractors and other business and community leaders committed to working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to craft a sensible truck and bus replacement rule that both cleans the air and keeps California's economy moving forward.
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