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I am the owner of a construction trucking company that is almost 15
years old -- started by a woman and run by a woman -- very unusualy
in this male-dominated industry.

I started in 1994 with one truck and have built it slowly but
surely over the last 15 years to the point where I now run 22 units
(double bottom dumps, semi bottom dumps, end dumps, ten wheels,
transfers and super dumps.)

 We have seen a decline in revenues this last year of over 40%
while seeing our costs increase dramatically.  Fuel used to
comprise approximately 15% of our expenses and this last year it
rose to over 30%.  Parts, oil, labor and other expenses have risen
also due to the underlying cost of transportation and base oil
prices.

The proposed CARB regulations will essentially put my company and
20 of my 22 owner operators out of business.  These young
entrepreneurs are primarily minorities -- Hispanic, Polish, and
Vietnamese.  The net profit of their companies have dwindled to the
point that they will be unable to either upgrade their equipment
and there is no way they are in any position to be able to purchase
new.  The fact is that their tractors are too old to even BE
retrofitted, but at the costs we are hearing, they could not afford
it anyway.

In a struggling industry with little or no work other than Public
Works, the timing of these regulations will deceminate the
construction transportation industry.  I implore the California Air
Resource Board to reconsider the proposal on the table in order to
not further destroy our California economy.

Very truly yours,

Pat McDonald, CCA, CIT
President
STI Trucking

National President
National Association of Women in Construction