In August 2023, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and transportation nonprofit CALSTART launched Cal Fleet Advisor, which offers free technical assistance to help owners and operators integrate more zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles into their fleets. The program, which receives California Climate Investments funding as part of the administration of the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), provides helpful services to ease the transition to cleaner technology for fleets across the state.
Those that enroll in the Cal Fleet Advisor program are paired with a dedicated advisor that provides specific insights into ZEV options, charging infrastructure, incentives, fuel savings, and more. The advisor connects participants to dealerships, utilities, and service providers to help participants optimize their fleet for ZEVs. Advisors remain available to a fleet throughout the course of a project to answer questions and ensure that the participant is getting the assistance they need. Bilingual advisors are available to assist fleets in both English and Spanish.
While Cal Fleet Advisor is available to fleets of all sizes, the program focuses on smaller businesses and independent owner-operators. Of the over 840 fleets that have been assisted by the program, 50% are fleets of less than 10 vehicles, 30% are single vehicle fleets, and 39% participate in drayage. The program was also recently expanded to assist school bus fleets in the adoption of ZEVs.
The program also has a focused outreach effort on fleets in the San Joaquin Valley, attending numerous events in the area to connect with fleets that would benefit from the program. Small agricultural fleets often face challenges in adopting new technologies; Cal Fleet advisor aims to reduce these barriers so drivers and surrounding communities can benefit from cleaner technology. Approximately 27% of the fleets assisted by the program are in the San Joaquin Valley, which holds only 10% of California’s population.
Cal Fleet Advisor assists fleets with navigating zero-emission trucks.
Cal Fleet Advisor has provided small fleets with the opportunity to learn about the various zero-emission technologies and incentives available to them. The program makes greener technology significantly more accessible to those in disadvantaged communities as fleets can receive a personalized plan free of charge. Emmanuel Carrillo of Talon Logistics spoke highly of the benefits provided by the program, saying, “Cal Fleet Advisor put me ahead of the curve with transitioning my fleet into zero-emissions. We needed guidance through this transition, and they made it easy. Cal Fleet Advisor wasn't just a service; it was a highly needed resource for myself and my business.”
With the assistance and expertise provided by Cal Fleet Advisor, adding medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs is becoming less daunting, motivating more owners and operators across the state to take the leap and transition to a cleaner fleet.