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My name is Tom Bowen.  I have been a truck driver since 1972 and an
Independent Owner Operator Truck Driver since 1989.  I have my own
authority and have the ability to haul anything, anywhere,
anytime.

I own a 2001 Peterbilt Class 8 Vehicle.  Before I purchase this
vehicle in 2008, I called CARB to inquire as to whether it made
sense for me to purchase this vehicle considering the CARB
regulations coming up at the time. A person named Chris told me,
that this truck would not have to have anything done to it until
2026.  I purchased the vehicle based on that information. One year
later, in 2009 I was bared from GOING IN TO the Port areas anywhere
in the state of CA and a short time later I was bared from hauling
sea containers or anything THAT CAME OUT OF the port areas on my
flatbed trailer. The Port loads were one of my staples, especially
in the wintertime.  Now, all of a sudden the rules got changed
again and because of the age of my truck, unless I buy a new truck
or spend 20K for a PM filter, I will be out of business come the
middle of this year.  

I will be 60 years old this summer and given the state of the
economy I do not have the ability to spend 20K for a filter and it
is absolutely out of the question for me to purchase a replacement
truck for the same reason. In these times, when fuel is $4 plus per
gallon, there is absolutely no way that I can afford ANY of this. 
The financial hardship that this would place on my family and me
would be insurmountable.  At my age, with my medical history,
nobody is going to hire me.  At the present time, as an Independent
Owner Operator I am one of the guys that have the ability to work
when there is work and stay home when the economy slows down
because I do not have a monthly truck/equipment payment of
$2500-3500 plus the added expense of the Insurance.  


I have tried on 3 different occasions to get a grant for a PM
filter.  I’ve been to Caterpillar in Sacramento twice and tried
once on my own.  I have gotten as far as having the data logger put
on 3 times and met all of the requirements to get a grant and each
and every time I called up on the day that the doors were open for
the funding and was told the money was already gone!  3 X’s!  Now,
I hear that CARB is spending millions of dollars to fund a
dynamometer facility at the Sacramento Army Depot (BT Collins) to
have the ability to smoke check trucks.  I am wondering if this is
where the grant money went to fund guys like myself to get PM
filters that we’re being required to put on our trucks at a very
high cost. 

I’m hoping that someone there will realize and understand that by
changing the rules again, and enforcing this July deadline, you
people at CARB will be personally responsible for the financial
hardship that you will be placing on the Independent Owner
Operators and their families.  Tom Bowen