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UP IN SMOKE

27th August 1992, Page 30
27th August 1992
Page 30
Page 31
Page 30, 27th August 1992 — UP IN SMOKE
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

As smoke regs get tighter hauliers will have to spend more time and money ensuring their trucks are green, clean and legal.

• Do you know about the impending legislation on truck emissions? Do you care about it? If you thought emissions were only a problem for manufacturers, think again. As smoke regs become increasingly tighter, hauliers will have to spend more time and money on ensuring that their wagons are clean and green.

Smoking trucks are firmly on the environmentalists' agenda. And now the public is being encouraged to call up local Traffic Area Offices (TA0s) whenever they see a vehicle pumping out black smoke.

During 1991/92 the TAOs received 1,483 calls which resulted in 1,170 operators being contacted to advise them to have their vehicles checked," according to the Vehicle Inspectorate's latest annual report. The fact that smoky buses and coaches attracted the most complaints (46% of all calls) could confirm what many hauliers have long suspected — that PCVs are the worst culprits when it comes to excessive smoke. But trucks are little better at 39%.

The VI recently ended its long-standing series of random surveys of smoking HGVs in favour of more roadside checks; in 1991/2 the number rose by 84%, with 113 of the 4,778 vehicles stopped attracting prohibitions. As if that wasn't enough to make the average operator want to disappear up his own exhaust pipe, from 1 September the Department of Transport will introduce a computer-aided free-acceleration smoke test (in which the truck is parked in neutral and the throttle pushed flat to the floor) as part of the annual LGV and PCV test.

TURBOCHARGED

The UK has set its own pass limit of 3.2m-1 for naturally aspirated engines, although the limit for turbocharged engines is currently being debated and could be set at a higher 3.7m-1, at least for a short period. The higher level for blown engines is due to the problems of turbocharger lag. The European Commission is also working on smoke test regulations which could be adopted in place of the UK's current regs (CM Workshop, June). It could mean even tighter EC pass limits at 2,5m-1 for unblown engines and 3.0m-1 for turbodiesels.

Since July this year truck manufacturers have had their own problems to contend with. Euro-1 is the first step in a rolling three-part legislative programme from the EC aimed at reducing the amount of nitrous oxide (N0x), carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (HC) produced by truck diesel engines.

Euro-1 also includes particulates (soot) limits for the first time. Levels for NOx, HC, CO and particulates will be driven down even further by Euro-2 in 1995/96 and ultimately by Euro-3, although the third stage has yet to be finalised.

All new trucks Type Approved after 1 July 1992 must have engines which meet Euro-1, while engines in vehicles Type Approved before that date must meet it by 1 October 1993.

EC emissions regs will mainly affect truck and engine makers. But operators won't be left untouched. There is no law yet demanding that hauliers check on-going Euro-1 compliance, but in order to ensure that Euro-1 trucks don't end up as dirty as their predecessors it seems inevitable that operators will have to spend more money.

DISTURBING

To find out how much hauliers know about emmissions Commercial Motor asked 50 operators 12 simple questions about forthcoming legislation on smoke limits, and the effect they could have on their businesses. Their answers revealed a disturbing lack of knowledge.

Few knew about the forthcoming emissions laws and many felt it was the manufacturers' problem. However, almost half didn't know about the latest smoke check in the annual test. And only 2% knew what the pass limit was.

The most common reply to our 12 questions was "Don't know"! Hardly anyone knew what the EC emission regs were called, when they came into effect, or what they applied to. And 44% of all those surveyed thought Euro-1 didn't apply to particulates.

Many of our respondents found the whole subject of emissions downright depressing. That view alone suggests that truck and engine makers, along with the DTp and magazines such as Commercial Motor, have much to do in explaining the environmental benefits and operating drawbacks of the latest emissions regs. If we don't, then how will hard-pressed hauliers persuade their customers that there is an extra price to pay for cleaner engines?

CI by Brian Weatherley


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