DC Velocity - September 2013

BY TOBY GOOLEY, SENIOR EDITOR

LIFT TRUCK FLEET MANAGEMENT

strategicinsight

FOR THOSE OF US OF A CERTAIN AGE, THE word “diesel” evokes images of smelly, soot-spewing vehicles clogging highways and crawling around construction sites. Future generations, though, are unlikely to have those same associations. Thanks to stringent emissions control regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it won’t be long before the exhaust from diesel engines is clean and clear.

Many people are familiar with those regulations as they apply to over-the-road trucks. But they also apply to diesel-powered “nonroad” vehicles, including the heavy-duty lift trucks typically used outdoors. The first level of emissions restrictions for diesel-powered lift trucks—designated Tier 1—went into effect in 1997. Over the next decade, Tier 2 and Tier 3 as well as Tier 4 interim rules were introduced.

But even stricter standards are looming. The next iteration, the Tier 4 final standards, mandate that harmful emissions from diesel-powered lift trucks be reduced by more than 90 percent compared with emissions levels before the regulations were first imposed.

Here’s a look at what those rules require, how manufac-
turers are responding, and what they will mean for fleet
operators.

RULES OF THE NONROAD

The main components of vehicle emissions are particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO). Of these, only PM (soot, or “black smoke”) and NOx are currently regulated by the EPA, according to J.B. Mayes, manager, counterbalanced product management for the Hyster Co.

Tier 4 interim regulations require that diesel engine manufacturers reduce PM exhaust emissions by 96 percent and NOx emissions by 76 percent compared with the Tier 1

The EPA’s stringent Tier 4 final emissions restrictions will apply to all diesel-powered lift trucks by the end of next year. How will the rules affect your fleet? ultra-clean lifting machines