August 28, 2015
First Annual CRA Golf Tournament, Corona, CA, More...

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

 

CRA’s 2015 Equipment and Party Rental Rally Tradeshow will be held January 26-28 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the South Point Casino Hotel & Convention Center, a great venue with the convenience of having the convention center and hotel on the same property. Exhibit days are January 27-28. CRA welcomes our newest exhibitors – see the following 12 articles for information about these new exhibitors. Click on "Learn More" for a complete list of tradeshow exhibitors.
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Atlas Copco has been serving the American market for well over 60 years. While much has changed over the years, what remains unwavering is Atlas Copco’s commitment to developing cutting edge technology and taking care of customers. Atlas Copco has grown their U.S. operation to over 1.7 million square feet of manufacturing, production, distribution and office space. Their sales, service and customer support associates span the length and breadth of the country. They work to serve each customer in a better way, every day.
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The Bartell Family of Companies is made up of four premium brands that have rich histories of innovation and pioneering in the concrete and surface prep industry—Bartell Concrete Equipment, Morrison Concrete Equipment, SPE (Surface Preparation Equipment), and Innotech. These brands work together to cover the entire construction cycle from compaction, floor removal, shotblasting, placing, finishing wet concrete, and polishing. Bartell produces quality products, and, with some products having a 3-year industry leading warranty, backs them up.
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Bobcat Company is a leading provider of compact equipment for global construction, rental, landscaping, agriculture, grounds maintenance, government, utility, industrial and mining markets. They are North Dakota’s largest manufacturer, with the most extensive compact equipment distribution network in the world. The world-renowned Bobcat brand stands for proven dependability and rugged durability. Bobcat’s tough, versatile and agile equipment, and its time-tested reliability, have earned the company its reputation as "One Tough Animal." Bobcat has approximately 1,000 independent dealers in more than 100 countries worldwide, serving customers through more than 3,000 sales specialists.
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Bomag manufactures vibratory tampers and vibratory plates, reversible plates, and ride-on rollers, trench rollers, and walk-behind rollers. To see more about the company and its products, click on "Learn More."
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Since 1991, the staff at CityRestore has been focused on the art and mechanics of paint, plastic and metal restoration. During this time, the compnay has perfected a 4-step chemical process that easily cleans, rejuvenates, and restores most non-porous surfaces. Most recent efforts have created products that not only surpass client expectations, but also provide a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to keep surfaces looking new. The mission of CityRestore is simple—providing products that clean and protect surfaces, restoring them to their original luster without using paints or pigments. Their restoration products are clear and work on most non-porous surfaces.
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Excavation Supply 4 Less represents manufacturers such as Ditch Witch, Vermeer, and Ground Hog, providing customers with quality replacement digging parts, chains, bits, teeth, and tines. To see their catalog, click on "Learn More."
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Hilti provides leading-edge technology to the global construction industry. Hilti products, systems and services offer the construction professional innovative solutions with outstanding added value. Hilti excels through outstanding innovation, top quality, direct customer relations and effective marketing. Two-thirds of the employees work directly for the customer in sales organizations and in engineering, which means a total of more than 200,000 customer contacts every day. Hilti has its own production plants as well as research and development centers in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
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Marksman Manufacturing offers customers a complete source for Trailers—Utility, Equipment, Dump, and Water Wagon. Special-sized trailers are available for every application, and the company can custom build trailers for special needs. Marksman also has a large parts inventory and safety decals available.
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Mission Linen Supply is a family-owned, privately held company and a leading provider of products and services to hospitality, medical and industrial businesses. Founded in 1930 by George "Ben" Page, the company has grown from a one-man operation to a leading player in the linen rental and uniform business. With more than 80 years of industry knowledge and an experienced workforce, Mission Linen Supply is widely recognized for its ability to understand, anticipate and meet its customers' needs while providing environmentally friendly goods and services. With its headquarters in Santa Barbara, California, the company employs more than 2,500 people in five western states.
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Third-generation potato farmer Ron Offutt worked in the fields alongside his father throughout his school years and post-college until 1968 when the opportunity to expand the family enterprise led to the purchase of a John Deere dealership in Casselton, North Dakota.
Given Offutt’s natural business style, along with his understanding of what customers needed, the store soon prospered. Customers in the area came to know Offutt’s store as a trusted industry resource and a place where they would receive individualized care and respect—characteristics still ingrained in the company’s business practices today. RDO Equipment Co. grew to become a provider of state-of-the-art products and support for the agriculture and construction industries. Today the company owns and operates more than 60 dealerships in nine states, selling quality brands such as John Deere, Vermeer, and Topcon, and employing more than 1,900 people who focus on agriculture, construction, environmental, tree care, underground, and machine control. In addition, the company currently operates in several international partnerships, including multiple locations in Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, and Australia.
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ReachLocal can build your complete Web presence, making sure you show up—and look great—in all the places that consumers search, surf, and socialize online. ReachLocal's powerful ReachEdge lead conversion software makes it easier for customers to nurture and convert leads. The software tracks what sources drive the most leads so customers can better target their marketing. Reach Local's digital advertising solutions continuously optimize ads so that so that companies can get—and stay—in front of the consumers who are most likely to buy.
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Maximize your profits with Rhino Tool Company's Air Operated Post Drivers and Manual or Hydraulic Post Pullers. Choose from 7 Post Driver models and 2 Post Puller models. The company provides Pneumatic and Gas Powered Post Drivers for all Fence Posts, Ground Rods and Tent Stakes, and Post Pullers for all applications.
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The CalChamber Alert Newsletter reported on Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.'s budget plan for 2015-16. The "carefully balanced" budget plan demonstrates his commitment to keep the state on a steady fiscal path. California Finance Director Michael Cohen presented a detailed analysis of the proposed budget at a recent California Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Forum. In his presentation, Cohen discussed budget priorities, including continued investments in key programs, saving money in the rainy day fund and paying down state debts. "It’s a good budget that’s still in balance... we are continuing to invest in the key programs that we’ve made major decisions on over the last few years, but we are also saving money and paying down our debts," Cohen told luncheon attendees.
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In a recent article on foxandhoundsdaily.com, Ed Ring, executive director of the California Public Policy Center, discussed the need for affordable housing as a means of lowering California's cost of living. He stated, "There are a lot of reasons for California’s high cost of living, but the most crippling by far is the price of housing. Historically, and still today in markets where land development is relatively unconstrained, the median home price is about four times the median household income. In Northern California’s Santa Clara County, the median home price in October 2014 was $699,750, eight times the median household income of $88,215. Even people earning twice the median household income in Santa Clara County will have a very hard time ever paying off a home that costs this much. And if they lose their job, they lose their home."
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December was the sixth consecutive month in which monthly average Brent crude oil prices decreased, falling $17/barrel (bbl) from November to a monthly average of $62/bbl, the lowest since May 2009. The December price decline, and its continuation into early January, reflects continued growth in U.S. tight oil production, strong global supply, and weakening outlooks for the global economy and oil demand growth. As oil prices have sharply declined, market expectations of uncertainty in the price outlook have increased. The growing uncertainty surrounding oil prices presents a major challenge to all price forecasts. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) January Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) forecasts Brent crude oil prices averaging $58/bbl in 2015 and $75/bbl in 2016, with annual average WTI prices expected to be $3/bbl to $4/bbl below Brent.
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Joel Fox, editor of Fox & Hounds and President of the Small Business Action Committee, discussed Senator Robert Hertzberg's tax reform legislation, SB 8, on foxandhoundsdaily.com. Fox stated that Hertzberg hopes to improve business conditions in the state with the reform. Fox, however, questions why this objective comes with a " $10 billion price tag."
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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.
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The regulation requires diesel trucks and buses that operate in California to be upgraded to reduce emissions. Newer, heavier trucks and buses must meet PM filter requirements beginning January 1, 2012. Lighter and older, heavier 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. The regulation applies to nearly all privately and federally owned diesel-fueled trucks and buses and to privately and publicly owned school buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 14,000 pounds.

What's New:
Early Access to Economic Hardship and Agricultural Vehicle Extensions (September 12, 2014): Advisory MSC 14-13 provides early access to the economic hardship extension and compliance options for cattle trucks and other agricultural vehicles.
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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. The following includes general information regarding small off-road engines and ARB's SORE program: Small Off-Road Engines Fact Sheet and Certification Guidelines – online access to relevant certification documents for manufacturers.
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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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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).

Who Needs to Report for 2014?
• Small Fleet Option – Closed as of January 31, 2014
• PM Filter Phase-In Option – Closed as of January 31, 2014
• Agricultural Vehicle – Open January 2015 and closed thereafter
• NOx Exempt Area Operation – January 31 of any year
• Log Truck Phase-In – January 31 of any year until 2015
• Low-Use – January 31 of any year
• Low-Mileage Work Truck Option – January 31 of any year

Vehicle owners that already reported will need to update their vehicle and owner information as it changes. If you bought or sold vehicles from your fleet, installed filters or upgraded engines on any of your vehicles you must report that information within 30 days of the change. If you reported for a mileage-based extensions such as the low-mileage construction truck extension, the agricultural vehicle extension or the low-use exemption, you must report your vehicle's January 1 odometer reading by January 31 each year. Also, if you sell a vehicle that was using the extension, then you must report the ending odometer reading.
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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.

Portable Diesel Engine Airborne Toxic Control Measure
On January 1, 2013, the Portable Engine Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) fleet emission standards went into effect. The ATCM required owners of portable engines to submit a Fleet Compliance Report to the Air Resources Board by March 1, 2013. The next Fleet Compliance Report will be due March 1, 2017.

Changes to Fleets
The ATCM also requires owners to ensure the average PM emission level for their fleet does not fall out of compliance due to changes in the fleet. Owners of portable diesel engine fleets who are adding or removing engines are strongly encouraged to re-calculate their fleet average. Other changes, such as modifying a registration to be low-use or emergency only-use, can also affect the fleet emissions average.

We recommend that once you have completed the calculator, save it and update it any time your portable fleet changes. Diesel-engine owners submitting applications for PERP registration for the first time must include a Fleet Compliance Report. This includes transfer of existing registrations for engines you have purchased.
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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.
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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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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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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. However, we have to apologize – with a high volume of news, we have been overwhelmed with keeping up with the latest industry news. Our staff will be working on getting you the latest updates. In the meantime, you may also visit our sister affiliate site for the latest on CARB, AB32 and any related news to the industry. Click on "Learn More" to access this site.
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