One of the primary goals of the WAIRE program is to improve environmental and safety standards. These new guidelines focus on reducing commercial vehicle noxious fumes and moving towards zero and near-zero emissions trucks. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of the WAIRE program and discuss how it is making a positive impact in the trucking industry.
What You Need to Know About the WAIRE Program
The WAIRE Program is geared towards warehouses located in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), that have an internal square footage of 100,000 or more specifically, those involved in activities that attract heavy truck traffic. These warehouses are targeted because the “SCAQMD estimates half of regional fog is associated with goods movement…and emit significant shares of pollutants.”
While the initial stage of the program was implemented in 2022, warehouse owners and operators will have a few years to become fully compliant. Effected warehouses are required to submit reports annually. There are also applicable fees due with the reports, as well as compliance obligations, which are based on warehouse size, truck traffic, and type of trucks entering and exiting the facility.
The program is designed around a WAIRE Points system, where warehouse operators can earn points by choosing from a list of ways to become compliant. Options include purchasing or using zero-emissions (ZE) or near-zero-emissions (NZE) equipment and installing/using charging stations and/or solar panels. As an alternative to selecting from the list, a warehouse can pay a mitigation fee. This fee funds the mitigation program, payable to the South Coast AQMD, for helping subsidize the purchase of eco-friendly vehicles and building the community’s “green” infrastructure.
How The WAIRE Program Benefits the Trucking Industry
For more than 20 years, federal agencies have placed a great deal of emphasis on reducing greenhouse gasses and air pollution, in the interest of improving the environment and health safety. Of course, electric daily driver vehicles have been around for some time, but now, with new air quality regulations and a push to decrease pollutants like nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and diesel fuel emissions, the trucking industry is being directly affected.
For some, a program like WAIRE may seem daunting at first, and perhaps it can be hard to see past the immediate business impact. However, if you think about the changes you might be planning to make and look at the long-term outcome, you’ll see that there are countless advantages.
One of the top benefits is cost savings. Budgetary constraints have always been a concern for fleets and, with recent rising costs, the need for efficiency is more important than ever. While the upfront costs of switching to an EV fleet are higher, you will save on fuel and maintenance costs in the long run, so it’s important to work that into the equation. For instance, besides needing oil changes and fill-ups less often, electric fleet vehicles also have fewer moving parts to fix and replace. Additionally, with an EV fleet, you’ll be eligible for tax rebates and other government incentives, loans, and grants.
Another important aspect is how your actions of leading by example will be a direct reflection on your concern for the community. There’s no avoiding the big push to phase out the production of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles planned over the next several years. At the same time, organizations are being encouraged to have a positive impact on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing. So, why not embrace change and position your company as a leader in the EV movement?
Putting Safety First
The WAIRE Program ultimately protects the environment, but it also improves the lives of those in the trucking industry.
For example, as electric vehicles replace diesel engines, warehouse and truck industry employees can enjoy breathing cleaner air without inhaling exhaust fumes. Electric vehicles also run much quieter than standard vehicle engines, which can cut down on driver fatigue, headaches, and auditory distractions that get in the way of paying attention to the road. An electric semi-truck gives drivers a much smoother ride, too, which improves driver concentration and reduces stress.
In lieu of training a driver on inspecting and being familiar with all the moving parts of a diesel-powered engine, getting acclimated to a more simplistically designed EV primarily requires learning how to maximize mileage. This makes electric vehicles easier and safer to operate, while allowing drivers to focus on the aspects that really matter – customer satisfaction and your bottom line.
TCI for Your EV Needs
Without a doubt, statistics verify the ill-effects of heavy truck pollutants in our air quality. While we’re still a long way from EVs completely replacing fueled vehicles, the WAIRE program requirements are motivating warehouse and fleet operators to make the transition.
When it comes to community and the environment, TCI is always making strides to improve. In 2022, TCI made a leap into the Go Green movement with the purchase of 50 electric Tesla trucks and installation of Solar PV systems. We have also partnered with Kalmar Ottawa to make electric yard tractors available to clients and earned the editors’ choice award for the Inbound Logistics annual G75. TCI readily implements the most advanced technology that not only benefits the environment, but business for themselves and their customers. If you’re looking for guidance with EV acquisitions or need help in navigating the WAIRE Program to become fully complaint, we’re here to help.
