Post by dockworker on Apr 16, 2009 6:46:37 GMT -5
Could New Jersey port adopt California Clean Trucks Program?
Posted on 14 April 2009 by Mryan
The third largest U.S. port behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and Houston could be up for regulations that would require emission reductions, similar to California’s Clean Trucks Program. However, experts say that pressure from the public would be key in forcing compliance but warn that the New Jersey port is structured differently than California’s, though enacting a similar program would be possible.
Ports Next Focus for Reducing Emissions
The average vehicle age for trucks servicing the Port of New York/New Jersey is more than a decade old and the port is unable to maintain a strong labor force due to low pay and operational inefficiencies, according to a new study completed by professors David Bensman and Yael Bromberg of Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations.
According to the report, the average port trucker drives a vehicle that is 11 years old because they cannot afford to buy or lease low-emission, high-efficiency diesel trucks. The older vehicles pollute at least ten times more than modern trucks while consuming more fuel, costing more to maintain and requiring more frequent repairs.
With the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach implementing its Clean Trucks Program (CTP), requiring that trucks servicing the ports release fewer emissions, calls have come to implement similar plans at other U.S. ports.
“I think they could implement a similar plan [to California],” Bensman told FleetOwner. “The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] would have to say to the Port Authority that they have to contribute towards getting the state into compliance. But it’s not going to happen unless there is a public clamor for it.”
However, Bensman noted that the port—third largest in the U.S. behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and Houston—is structured somewhat differently than other large ports as it is less involved in intermodal activity, with 85% of the containers that pass through staying in the New York metro area.
The report noted that nearly three-quarters of the approximately 7,000 port truckers that deliver and pick up containers at the ports are independent contractors who are paid on a per-load basis. They make two or three trips a day, spending an average of two unpaid hours waiting on line each trip, Bensman said.
Posted on 14 April 2009 by Mryan
The third largest U.S. port behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and Houston could be up for regulations that would require emission reductions, similar to California’s Clean Trucks Program. However, experts say that pressure from the public would be key in forcing compliance but warn that the New Jersey port is structured differently than California’s, though enacting a similar program would be possible.
Ports Next Focus for Reducing Emissions
The average vehicle age for trucks servicing the Port of New York/New Jersey is more than a decade old and the port is unable to maintain a strong labor force due to low pay and operational inefficiencies, according to a new study completed by professors David Bensman and Yael Bromberg of Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations.
According to the report, the average port trucker drives a vehicle that is 11 years old because they cannot afford to buy or lease low-emission, high-efficiency diesel trucks. The older vehicles pollute at least ten times more than modern trucks while consuming more fuel, costing more to maintain and requiring more frequent repairs.
With the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach implementing its Clean Trucks Program (CTP), requiring that trucks servicing the ports release fewer emissions, calls have come to implement similar plans at other U.S. ports.
“I think they could implement a similar plan [to California],” Bensman told FleetOwner. “The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] would have to say to the Port Authority that they have to contribute towards getting the state into compliance. But it’s not going to happen unless there is a public clamor for it.”
However, Bensman noted that the port—third largest in the U.S. behind Los Angeles/Long Beach and Houston—is structured somewhat differently than other large ports as it is less involved in intermodal activity, with 85% of the containers that pass through staying in the New York metro area.
The report noted that nearly three-quarters of the approximately 7,000 port truckers that deliver and pick up containers at the ports are independent contractors who are paid on a per-load basis. They make two or three trips a day, spending an average of two unpaid hours waiting on line each trip, Bensman said.