Two major trucking firms throw support to Green port plan

Swift, Knight give support to Port of LA’s environmental plan

By Dave Hannon -- Purchasing, 8/22/2008 7:48:00 AM

According to officials at the Port of Los Angeles, both Knight Transportation and Swift Transportation have agreed to enroll in the Clean Truck Program at the Port of Los Angeles, giving the much-debated plan a boost in the trucking industry. 

Under its Clean Truck Program, the Port of Los Angeles beginning in October would ban all trucks made prior to 1989 from the port in an effort to reduce pollution at the ports and allow only those trucks that have a “concession contract.” Also, a fee will be assessed to any trucks that do not meet 2007 emissions standards. To date the Port has received concession applications from approximately 20 other licensed motor carriers of various sizes that collectively represent more than 1,100 trucks. 

The Clean Truck Program, which is due to begin October 1, is not popular with a lot of trucking firms and some shippers have concerns about its impact on throughput at the already strained port. The American Trucking Association has filed a suit in California to challenge. Earlier this month, ATA President and CEO Bill Graves in a statement, “We are particularly concerned with the Port of Los Angeles’ concession requirement that will lead to a complete ban of the use of independent contractor/owner operator drivers in servicing that port’s operations within five years.”

In a recent interview with Purchasing.com, Brian Conrad, executive administrator of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, said: “If they do go through with the Clean Truck Program that means there will be fewer trucks available which could impact the volume of imports and could push more shippers to East Coast ports.”

Some trucking industry players expressed disappointment with the decision by Knight and Swift to support the program. Michael Lightman, owner of Long Beach-based Great Freight Inc., which does 99% of its business moving goods to and from the ports, told the Los Angeles Times this week: “I'm taken aback. Now, they are going to out-of-state companies rather than dealing with California trucking businesses that have been hauling cargo in and out of the ports for the past 25 to 30 years.”

While port officials say the plan will begin on its October 1 date, it has made some recent concessions to ease the transition for truckers. The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports that the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on Thursday made a series of adjustments to the Clean Trucks Program, under which drivers who own a truck built before 1989 can still enter the Port of Los Angeles after the program's Oct. 1 start date, but only if they show proof of purchasing a cleaner-burning big rig. Also, a pre-1989 truck can enter the port until Jan. 1, if the owner has already agreed to replace it with a diesel rig meeting 2007 emissions standards.

"If a driver orders a new truck before Oct. 1, but the truck isn't going to be ready, then we'll allow them some more time to get the truck delivered," John Holmes, executive director of operations at the Port of Los Angeles, told the Press-Telegram.

Also see: See the September issue of Purchasing to read a special report on the state of U.S. ports.

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