Another smooth week for LA-Long Beach

[HardTimeTrucker]

Another smooth week for LA-Long Beach clean trucks
October 8, 2008

By Bill Mongelluzzo
The JOURNAL of COMMERCE


The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Wednesday began their second week of operation under the clean-trucks program, and reported gate moves remain fluid and there is sufficient trucking capacity to handle peak-season cargo volumes.

“There are no problems. There has been a very high compliance rate,” said Port of Los Angeles spokesman Arley Baker.

Trucks built prior to 1989 that are prohibited under the new emission rules have left the harbor. At least 700 trucking companies have applied for concessions from the ports, Baker said. Those motor carriers have placed port-issued stickers on their trucks and marine terminals are clearing the trucks without any delays being reported, he said.

The clean-trucks program at the Southern California ports is intended to reduce truck pollution by 80 percent over the next five years. Each year the age limit for trucks will be reduced until only 2007-model trucks, or newer, will be calling at the ports.

The 2007-model clean-diesel trucks meet federal Environmental Protection Agency standards for pollution reduction.

When the program was announced, the trucking industry expressed concern that eliminating so many older trucks would result in a shortage of truck capacity in the harbor. That has not happened.

Also, the American Trucking Associations has sued the ports over the clean-truck concession program. In order to operate in the harbor, motor carriers must sign a concession agreement committing the companies to certain operational changes and payment of concession fees.

The ATA charged that the concession requirements are illegal and would hamper motor carrier operations in the harbor. The U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco refused to issue a preliminary injunction against the concession requirements. Although the 9th Circuit court refused to grant emergency relief, it is receiving written testimony and is expected to issue a ruling by the end of the year.

The next important date will be around Nov. 1, when the ports hope to turn on an electronic truck registry and a related program to process fees associated with the clean-trucks program. Port of Long Beach spokesman Art Wong said while that date is not yet firm, the ports believe the necessary computer programming can be completed around the first of next month.

Except for ensuring that trucks display the appropriate concession stickers before entering marine terminals, the ports have been lenient in enforcing some of the requirements in the clean-trucks program.

For example, drivers are not being asked to show their federal Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards at the terminal gates. One of the requirements of the program is that harbor truck drivers have a TWIC card.

Fee collection and full enforcement of the clean-trucks plan requirements are expected to take place when the computer system has been completed.