Want to Dispel FUD

[SMarquez]

I am reading on a couple different forums about people in other states deleting all emissions on their diesel trucks. Lots of fear of being stopped at the California border and having their trucks inspected for emissions equipment compliance. I have been across I5, 40, 15 and 10 several times in the last couple years and have seen no sign of this. My understanding is it's not a just a California thing but a federal clean air act deal for emissions.
Is there any truth to this and which agency would camp at the border to check out of state vehicles for compliance?

It sounds like the FUD about CHP stopping vehicles just to search for ammo being brought in from out of state to me.

[ldsnet]

Small diesel trucks now get smog checked just like a car (visual and OBD scan read) annually as part of the vehicle registration. The techs are pretty savvy to detect missing or non CARB approved equipment.
Commercial vehicles (non pickups) as they go through the scales are subject to vehicle inspection (they can look at smog requirements).
In 20 years of owning a diesel truck in CA, I have never been stopped or checked in a pickup in CA. 3 years ago, my last cross country in my pickup towing my 5th wheel, I was flagged into the scales 3 times in 6,000 miles by different states. I was green lighted every time so no idea why they flagged me (CA exempts pickups in the scales, but other states can flag a pickup just like any other commercial vehicle. Once stopped, even "not for hire" can be inspected by DOT).

[SMarquez]

The only issue we had was some small trees brought back from Oklahoma by a friend at the inspection station, that and they needed to show proof of some equine vaccinations. I can't really see any agency going out of their way to check for smog compliance except DOT and that would probably be in conjunction with some other violation. I have heard that shops or vendors that do deletes are being crushed to the tune of $50,000 penalties and companies that produce tuners for deletes are fading away.

[boattail]

The Air Resources Board are who check for smog compliance. The ARB will set up in the commercial inspection stations but the officers and inspectors that work there do not enforce the smog laws.

The ARB will set up roadside as well but they need an officer there as they (ARB) has no authority to stop a vehicle.

There have been some rouge ARB employees setting up and stopping vehicles on their own.....the last one's that tried that got their butts handed to them over it.

[Librarian]

Originally Posted by ldsnet

3 years ago, my last cross country in my pickup towing my 5th wheel, I was flagged into the scales 3 times in 6,000 miles by different states.

Slight diversion: How was that "flagging" accomplished? That is, by what means did some authority indicate you had to enter the scales?

[ldsnet]

Originally Posted by Librarian

Slight diversion: How was that "flagging" accomplished? That is, by what means did some authority indicate you had to enter the scales?

In other states, In Motion Weigh and transponders are the thing. If they want your attention, a series of camera flashes go off taking your picture and a billboard lights up that says ENTER SCALES. Very obvious it is YOU they want to talk to. In all 3 cases there wasn't another truck within half mile ahead or behind me.

[TRICKSTER]

If you are towing with a flat bed truck or some other configuration the pickup exemption does not apply and you need to stop at the scales and are subject to inspection. I have heard that some CHP offices have been cracking down on people towing RVs for failing to stop at the weigh stations because of this.

Vehicle Code - VEH
DIVISION 1. WORDS AND PHRASES DEFINED [100 - 681] ( Division 1 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. )

471.

A “pickup truck” is a motor truck with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of less than 11,500 pounds, an unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, and which is equipped with an open box-type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length. “Pickup truck” does not include a motor vehicle otherwise meeting the above definition, that is equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment unit commonly called a “utility body.”