Fleet owners are struggling with new federal emission rules effective this year for off-road diesel-powered trucks and machines. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 4 Final standard cuts particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 90%.
It marks the culmination of a multi-tiered emission reduction process started in 1996. Off-road diesel emissions are responsible for 15,000 heart attacks annually, the EPA claims, plus 12,000 premature deaths and 1 million lost work days each year. Manufacturers have since responded with two primary technologies: cooled exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR) or selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Both options mean added equipment and maintenance as well as greater costs and potential warranty woes.