ACF: The next appraisal chapter in the continuing fleet emission technology story The California Advanced Clean Fleets regulation intends to convert nearly 30% of the medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicles operating in the state—including 100% of drayage vehicles—to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Equipment appraisers need to be aware of vehicle categories affected, technology hurdles that must…Read More
Maxxforce Engines: Appraising Value for Litigation
Update: In January 2020, the Navistar MaxxForce engine class-action settlement finalized at $135 million. We are not available to appraise individual trucks. We suggest owner/operators find an attorney to assist with individual claims. In 2017 an Arkansas trucking company became the latest to file a complaint against Navistar in federal court, arising out of the…Read More
Specialty Equipment: Orchards & Vineyards
Big changes are happening in California agriculture! As farmers convert massive amounts of acreage to orchards and vineyards, abandoning annual crops like tomatoes and rice, farming equipment is changing as well. As one would expect, orchard and vineyard crops use entirely different machinery types, especially for harvesting. This is an interesting transition for appraisers of…Read More
2016 CARB Regulation Reporting Deadline 01/ 31
The CARB Truck & Bus regulation reporting system has been updated for fleets to select or re-select their 2016 options. This information from a recent email: January 1 of every compliance year, fleet owners that use flexibility options in the regulation must identify which vehicles will use a particular extension and provide any additional information as…Read More
What’s so Fair about Fair Market Value?
When you think about “Fair Market Value” in equipment appraisal reports, what do you think the “fair” part means? We had this discussion not long ago at an appraisal report writing class regarding the new USPAP regulations and the consensus was that the “fair” part of “fair market value” is redundant. Market Value, by definition,…Read More
CARB Registration Re-opens for Ag and Construction Trucks
Did you miss the April 29, 2011, deadline to register your Ag truck? California Air Resources Board has re-opened registration for trucks used in agriculture that have been owned since Jan. 1, 2009, and will be operated within specific mileage thresholds. If you have an eligible truck, you can register it online now. A recent Ag…Read More
CARB Regs in Appraising Small Fleets
Recently I valued a 1994 flatbed truck used for heavy hauling. Even though I’ve done more truck appraisals than I can count, this one in particular proved the importance of double-checking CARB rulings. What I discovered was so interesting that I put together a case study regarding the truck appraisal under the current CARB regs….Read More
Got CARB? Diesel Off-Road Equipment Deadlines
Is your mobile off-road diesel equipment CARB-compliant? Just in case you missed the memo, reporting and labeling is now mandatory for all off-road fleets per the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mobile off-road diesel equipment regulations. If you haven’t reported your applicable equipment yet, you might want to put a rush on it order to…Read More
CARB: After-market Diesel Filters & Duty Cycles
Emissions Retrofit Group recently hosted a great mini-seminar for the ASA NorCal Chapter summarizing some of the key aspects of the CARB DPI. I’ve been following CARB developments closely and thought I had the latest and greatest info, but the guys from ERG explained 2 important factors I’d been heretofore unaware of. In this post, I’m…Read More
CARB Tractor Rule: Rumors & Reality
As a machinery and equipment appraiser working in the Central Valley of California, I appraise a fair amount of mobile diesel-powered agricultural field equipment: tractors, of course, but also harvesters, sprayers, shakers, sweepers, and on and on. As anyone with an interest in diesel equipment knows, over the last several years the California Air Resources…Read More
CARB alert: approved emission retrofits
Just received this information from CARB: Be aware that some companies are advertising and attempting to sell devices that cannot be used to comply with Air Resources Board (ARB) diesel engine regulations. Only diesel particulate matter (PM) filters or other devices that have been verified by the ARB to meet rigorous emission reduction and durability…Read More
Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program
Heads up to those of you with diesel powered fleets — EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program’s latest grant application process will close out on June 14. This funding opportunity is only available to specified applicants, but if your organization operates any of the qualified items and falls into one of the eligible entity…Read More