NAFA's Pacific Southwest Digs Deep Into Industrial-Use Fleets

At the heart of it, fleet managers are responsible for all sorts of assets and equipment, and not all of it is an on-road automotive vehicle. At NAFA Pacific Southwest Chapter's March 2 meeting, attendees dug deep into this fundamental question: how do I follow the necessary guidelines and responsibility for these vehicles even though they are not like standard vehicle types.

Taking place at Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers in Perris, CA, the definition of vehicles was immediately expanded - asphalt-flattening rollers, diggers, forklifts, and more may not travel the highways, but they still emit carbon monoxide into the air and need to be properly regulated in that regard.

Todd Sterling from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was the featured presenter. CARB’s presentation was focused on off-road regulation; their online reporting and compliance database named DOORS (Diesel Off-road Online Reporting System); large spark ignition (LSI) engines; and portable equipment regulation. CARB identified diesel exhaust particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant in 1998, as it contains many harmful chemicals, and 70 percent of all airborne cancer risk stems from it.

Ritchie Bros., considered the world’s largest industrial auctioneer, have conducted live, unreserved public auctions since 1958. The auction house presented a discussion on maximizing equipment life cycles.

The meeting was enlightening for all, particularly for fleet managers who run industrial-use vehicles, but also for those who don't. Everyone walked away with a greater understanding of what the physical makeup of a fleet can be, and that running all these vehicles responsibly is crucial to our profession.

Special thanks to Mike Wade for information in this article.