CARB Truck and Bus
The Trusted Freight Exchange requires certain qualifications based on the state in which you're searching for loads. In order to post trucks or search for loads in California, we require the CARB "Truck and Bus" certificate.
The certificate is a fleet-level record in CARB’s Truck Regulation Upload, Compliance, and Reporting System (TRUCRS). It confirms that the fleet has reported and CARB’s system shows it compliant with the Truck and Bus rule. It is not an emissions test result and does not replace Clean Truck Check or TRU compliance.
The general Truck and Bus engine-year requirement is 2010 or newer for covered vehicles, but exemptions and approved alternatives can change what a particular fleet must do. Confirm each vehicle’s applicability and eligibility in current CARB guidance before confirming compliance.
This is what the certificate looks like. This is not the same as the Clean Truck Check.
Before You Start
• Verify that you have an account set up in the TRUCRS portal and the correct fleet record or TRUCRS ID.
• Have your company and contact information, including any U.S. DOT and California motor-carrier numbers.
• For each covered vehicle: VIN, license plate, GVWR, vehicle details, engine model year, and emissions-control information requested by TRUCRS. Use the engine label and vehicle records; do not assume the engine year matches the truck model year.
How to get the Truck and Bus Certificate
Use these steps for the fleet’s Truck and Bus reporting. If TRUCRS shows the fleet is not compliant, resolve the underlying issue before confirming or relying on a certificate.
1. Open TRUCRS website. Go to the CARB TRUCRS reporting portal and choose the reporting/login link. Sign in to the correct company fleet. If the company has no account, follow the setup steps and keep the TRUCRS ID.
2. Confirm the fleet. Open the correct fleet and check company and contact details. Enter the company’s U.S. DOT number and select “DOT Number” as the carrier type.
3. Add or update trucks. Choose “View or Update.” Enter each covered vehicle using the requested VIN, plate, GVWR, and engine details. Verify engine model year from its emissions label or reliable records. Use an exemption or alternative only if the fleet qualifies.
4. Check compliance status. Open “Compliance Status” > “Truck and Bus.” Resolve missing information or noncompliant items, then check the status again.
5. Confirm and print. When the fleet shows compliant, select “Click to Confirm,” attest that the information is accurate, then select “Print Certificate.” Save a copy.
6. Verify the public record. Use CARB’s Truck and Bus compliance lookup. Search by DOT and confirm “TB” appears for Truck and Bus, and keep the certificate with its print date.
Highway has automatic data pulls directly from the CARB website several times a week.
CARB’s public lookup updates every few hours. Highway’s scheduled data pull may take a few days after CARB posts the certificate.
If you cannot get a certificate
A missing certificate usually means the fleet has not completed reporting, the system still shows a compliance issue, or the wrong fleet/account is open. Check the VIN and engine data, missing fields, carrier numbers, and any listed compliance path. Do not click to confirm a fleet that is not compliant.
NOTE: Always use a DOT number as the carrier identifier, not the CA or MC or TRUCRS ID number
Other CARB Programs
Program | Applies To | What Carriers Need To Know |
Truck and BusRequired for access to Highway’s Trusted Freight Exchange |
Most diesel trucks and buses over 14,000 lb GVWR operating in California | General engine-year requirement is 2010 or newer; exceptions and alternative compliance paths may apply. A compliant fleet can print a Certificate of Reported Compliance. Report covered vehicles on the CARB TRUCRS website. Must be renewed annually. No separate certificate fee or inspection is required. |
Clean Truck Check | Most non-gasoline vehicles over 14,000 lb GVWR that operate on California public roads, including out-of-state vehicles | Annual program registration/reporting plus emissions testing. 2026 annual compliance fee: $32.13 per vehicle. Inspection frequency and method depend on vehicle and engine; check the vehicle’s CTC-VIS due date. Often that is a semi-annual or quarterly inspection. |
TRU |
The Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) (reefer engine/system), not the tractor. | Each covered TRU has its own reporting, label, and operating requirements. Model year affects the phase-in. Diesel TRU fee is generally $45 per unit every three years; reefer facility rules are outside this carrier summary. |
Advanced Clean Fleet |
Covered California state and local government fleets. | Public-fleet vehicle purchasing rule. It does not generally apply to private motor carriers simply because they haul public freight. No general private-carrier ACF certificate or fee. |
Keep these programs separate
A current Truck and Bus Certificate does not automatically satisfy Clean Truck Check testing or TRU obligations. A reefer trailer may have both a regulated TRU and a truck/trailer subject to separate vehicle rules. Track the tractor, trailer, and refrigeration unit as distinct records where CARB requires it.
Clean Truck Check
Check the CTC-VIS record for each covered vehicle’s annual fee and test due date. Most vehicles require periodic emissions testing; test type and frequency depend on fuel, model year, registration/use, and CARB rules. The 2026 fee is $32.13 per vehicle. This fee can change in a later year.
Transport Refrigeration Units
TRU obligations depend on the refrigeration unit’s engine model year and configuration. In general, diesel TRUs MY 2022 and older must meet the Ultra-Low-Emission TRU standard by December 31 of the unit’s seventh year; MY 2023 and newer units follow the applicable particulate-matter standard. Reporting and a compliant label are also required. Confirm the specific unit’s status and deadlines in CARB’s current TRU guidance. This sheet omits applicable-facility requirements.
Advanced Clean Fleets
The State and Local Government agency fleet rule sets zero-emission purchase milestones for covered public fleets. The general schedule is 50% of covered vehicle purchases in 2024–2026 and 100% beginning in 2027, with other compliance options and exemptions available under the regulation. Private carriers are not covered by this fleet pathway solely because they operate trucks in California.