Geotab has announced a new certification with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that lets it integrate the J1979-2 protocol into its Clean Truck Check compliance solution, according to TheTrucker.com.
Clean Truck Check is CARB's Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance (HD I/M) program. It applies to heavy-duty vehicles operating in California, including those registered outside the state.
What Geotab says it changed
Geotab says it is among the first companies to offer J1979-2 as part of a fully integrated telematics product. The company says this helps fleets avoid manual data collection and the vehicle downtime that comes with it.
According to the report, J1979-2 allows more standardized and secure access to vehicle emissions data directly from compliant telematics devices. Geotab says customers can use a single platform that automatically collects and transmits the required emissions data.
How it works on the truck
The GO9 family of devices recognizes whether an eligible truck uses J1939, J1979 or J1979-2. The device then collects and prepares the required data through the fleet's existing Clean Truck Check workflow.
That means a fleet with trucks on different protocols can use the same device and process across all of them. Per the report, there is no need to change settings by hand or add a separate tool.
The company's pitch
"Regulatory requirements are evolving rapidly, and fleets need solutions that not only address today's mandates but are future proofing for what's next," said Sabina Martin, Geotab's vice president of product.
Geotab also argues that as regulators move toward standardized digital reporting, early adoption of protocols like J1979-2 should make it easier for fleets to adapt to policy changes. That is the company's view, not an independent finding.
What to watch
The source is a report based on Geotab's announcement, and it does not give pricing, availability dates, supported vehicle model years or the scope of the CARB certification. Fleets running mixed-protocol trucks in California should ask the vendor for those details, and confirm how the data flow fits their own Clean Truck Check reporting.
