Hear from Our Customers
You got the notice. Your truck can’t be renewed until you pass a clean truck check. Every day that truck sits costs you $500, $800, maybe more depending on your contracts.
The DMV isn’t lifting that hold until CARB gets your test results. And if you’re running 2013 or newer diesel trucks over 14,000 pounds GVWR, you need OBD emissions testing done by a CARB credentialed tester with the right equipment. Not every shop has it. Not every mobile service knows how to handle J1939 and J1708 connectors properly.
We do. We come to your location in Santa Fe Springs with CARB-certified testing equipment, run the full diagnostic on your heavy-duty vehicle, and upload your compliance status directly to the state database. You get your results same-day. The DMV hold gets lifted automatically once CARB processes the pass. Your truck goes back to work.
No guessing. No waiting weeks for an appointment. No driving a non-compliant truck to some shop and hoping they can fit you in. We handle the entire clean truck check process on-site, whether you’ve got one truck or a full fleet parked at your yard off Pioneer Boulevard or near the 605.
All SMOG Motors has been handling CARB diesel compliance for heavy-duty trucks across Southern California for over 15 years. We’re not new to this. We watched the regulations roll out, trained our technicians through CARB’s credentialing program, and invested in the OBD testing equipment required for 2013 and newer trucks.
Santa Fe Springs runs on logistics. You’ve got warehouses, freight terminals, and trucking companies operating 24/7 along Imperial Highway and Greenstone Avenue. We know your trucks can’t afford to sit. That’s why we built our service around mobile testing—we come to you, test on-site, and get your compliance handled fast.
We’re fully insured, CARB credentialed, and trusted by fleets that can’t afford mistakes. Government agencies, utility companies, and major carriers use us because we show up, do the work right, and don’t waste time.
First, you call or message us with your truck details—year, make, GVWR, and VIN. We confirm your vehicle qualifies for clean truck check testing (2013 or newer, over 14,000 pounds). If you’re not sure, we’ll look it up.
We schedule a time that works for your operation. Could be same-day, could be next morning. We drive to your yard, terminal, or wherever the truck is parked in Santa Fe Springs. Our mobile unit has everything needed—CARB-approved OBD diagnostic tools, laptop, and direct upload capability.
The test itself takes under 20 minutes. We connect to your truck’s OBD port, run the emissions system diagnostic, check for fault codes, and verify your diesel particulate filter and other emissions controls are functioning properly. If your truck passes, we upload the results to the CARB database immediately. You’ll see the compliance update in the CTC-VIS portal within hours, and the DMV registration hold gets released automatically.
If something fails, we’ll tell you exactly what’s wrong. We offer 50% off retests once you get the issue fixed. Some trucks just need a regen cycle or a sensor replacement. We’ll walk you through what needs to happen so you’re not guessing.
Ready to get started?
California’s clean truck check program applies to nearly every diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty vehicle over 14,000 pounds GVWR operating on public roads. Doesn’t matter if your truck is registered out of state—if it’s working in California, it needs to comply.
For 2013 and newer trucks, that means OBD emissions testing twice a year. CARB wants to confirm your emissions control systems are working—diesel particulate filters, selective catalytic reduction, exhaust gas recirculation, all of it. The test checks for fault codes and system readiness. If your truck’s throwing a check engine light or the OBD system isn’t ready, it won’t pass.
Santa Fe Springs is home to nearly 300 transportation and warehousing companies. Your trucks are hauling freight to the ports, moving goods across the Inland Empire, running routes up and down the 5 and the 710. CARB knows this. They’re actively placing registration holds on non-compliant vehicles, and they’re not backing off. Starting January 2025, enforcement gets tighter. By 2027, OBD-equipped trucks will need testing quarterly.
You can’t ignore this. A failed inspection or missed deadline triggers fines up to $10,000 per vehicle per day. One truck out of compliance for a week could cost you $70,000. We’ve seen it happen. Our job is to make sure you pass the first time, stay compliant, and avoid those penalties entirely.
No. The CARB clean truck check program with OBD emissions testing applies only to 2013 and newer diesel trucks over 14,000 pounds GVWR.
If your truck is model year 2012 or older, it falls under different CARB regulations—likely the Periodic Smoke Inspection Program (PSIP) if it’s a 1998 or newer diesel over 14,000 pounds. That’s a different test entirely, using opacity meters to measure visible smoke from the exhaust. It’s not the same as the OBD diagnostic testing required for newer trucks.
Don’t assume your older truck is exempt from everything, though. CARB has multiple programs targeting heavy-duty diesel vehicles, and depending on your truck’s weight, age, and how you use it, you might still have compliance obligations. If you’re not sure what applies to your specific vehicle, we can look up your VIN and tell you exactly what CARB requires.
The actual test takes under 20 minutes once we’re connected to your truck. We plug into the OBD port, run the diagnostic, check emissions system readiness, scan for fault codes, and verify everything’s functioning properly.
Total time on-site is usually 30 minutes or less, including setup and results upload. We’re not tearing apart your truck or doing a full inspection. This is a computerized emissions system check. As long as your truck’s OBD system is ready and there are no active fault codes, it’s quick.
If we find an issue—say, your DPF isn’t regenerating properly or you’ve got a sensor throwing a code—we’ll spend a few extra minutes explaining what’s wrong and what you need to fix before retesting. But the test itself is fast. We built this service for trucking companies that can’t afford to have equipment sitting idle for hours. You’ve got loads to move. We get in, get it done, and get out of your way.
If your truck fails, we’ll tell you exactly why. The OBD system will flag specific fault codes or readiness monitors that aren’t passing. Could be your diesel particulate filter needs regeneration, a NOx sensor is malfunctioning, or your exhaust system has a leak triggering codes.
We don’t do repairs, but we’ll explain what needs to happen. Sometimes it’s simple—run a parked regen, clear the codes, drive the truck through a readiness cycle, and retest. Other times you’ll need a mechanic to replace a sensor or fix an exhaust component.
Once you get the issue resolved, we offer 50% off retests. We’ll come back out, run the diagnostic again, and if it passes, upload the results to CARB immediately. The key is addressing the actual problem, not just clearing codes and hoping it passes. CARB’s system checks readiness monitors—if your truck hasn’t completed the necessary drive cycles after a repair, it’ll fail again even if the fault code is gone. We’ll walk you through what your truck needs to be ready so you’re not wasting time and money on multiple failed tests.
Yes. A lot of truck owners get stuck trying to navigate CARB’s CTC-VIS portal. It’s not intuitive, and if you register your vehicle incorrectly or miss a step, it can delay your compliance status update.
We’ll walk you through the entire registration process—creating your account, adding your vehicles, understanding your testing deadlines, and checking your compliance status after we upload results. If you’d rather we handle it, we can register your trucks for you. We’ve done this hundreds of times. We know exactly what information CARB needs and how to avoid the common mistakes that cause delays.
Once your trucks are in the system and we’ve uploaded a passing test, you’ll be able to log in anytime and see your compliance status. CARB updates the database within a few hours of our upload, and the DMV checks that database before processing registration renewals. If you’ve got a registration hold, it’ll lift automatically once CARB shows you’re compliant. You don’t need to call the DMV or submit paperwork. The systems talk to each other. We just make sure your passing test gets into CARB’s system correctly so everything downstream happens like it should.
Yes. We’re fully insured and TSA cleared, which means we can access port terminals and airport facilities that most mobile testers can’t enter.
If your trucks operate out of the Port of Long Beach, Port of LA, or you’ve got vehicles staged at LAX cargo terminals, we’ll come to you. We handle compliance testing for fleets working in secured areas all the time. Government agencies and utility companies trust us because we’ve got the credentials and insurance coverage required to work in restricted zones.
Santa Fe Springs is close enough to the ports that a lot of local trucking companies run drayage operations. Your trucks are moving containers between the docks and warehouses along the 710 corridor. We know those operations can’t afford downtime. That’s why we offer mobile testing—whether your truck is at your yard off Shoemaker Avenue or parked at a terminal in Long Beach, we’ll meet you there, test on-site, and get your CARB compliance handled without pulling your equipment out of service for half a day.
Pricing depends on how many trucks you need tested, where you’re located, and whether you need same-day service. Most mobile CARB testing services in Southern California charge between $75 and $150 per truck, plus travel costs if you’re outside the standard service area.
We’re competitive with that range, and we offer volume pricing for fleets. If you’ve got multiple trucks at one location in Santa Fe Springs, we can test them all in one visit and bring the per-truck cost down. That’s a lot more efficient than sending each truck to a shop individually.
What you’re paying for is convenience, speed, and accuracy. We come to you with CARB-certified equipment, test your trucks on-site, and upload results immediately. No waiting weeks for a shop appointment. No driving non-compliant trucks across town. No risking a failed test because the shop didn’t have the right OBD connectors for your specific engine. We’ve invested in the tools and training to do this right the first time. That’s worth something when a single day of downtime costs you $500+ in lost revenue and a compliance violation could hit you with $10,000 daily fines.
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