| The countdown clock is ticking for the new Clean | | | | waiting for the judge to rule.” |
| Trucks Program set to begin Oct. 1 at Southern | | | | Out-of-state advantage |
| California’s two largest ports. But many are | | | | Until recently, only a few trucking companies had |
| wondering if the ports will be ready on time. | | | | registered to participate in the Clean Trucks Program, |
| With a little more than three weeks left, the ports of | | | | which will ban all pre-1989 trucks from the ports on |
| Los Angeles and Long Beach still don’t have a | | | | Oct. 1. By 2012, only trucks that meet 2007 EPA |
| software program in place to collect a special | | | | standards will be permitted into the ports in order to |
| $35–per–20-foot container fee to fund the | | | | reduce diesel pollution by 80 percent. |
| nearly $2 billion program, which helps drivers calling at | | | | But in late August, the Port of Los Angeles signed up |
| the ports to buy new trucks.roadway"> expressIn | | | | two Phoenix-based trucking companies to join the |
| addition, a special card reader that would match up | | | | Clean Trucks Program. Swift Transportation Co. Inc. |
| the fee-collecting software program with a national | | | | and Knight Transportation signed letters of intent to |
| online truck registry that shows who owns the truck | | | | call at the port with trucks manufactured in 2007. |
| and its age hasn’t been installed. | | | | This is a first for Swift and Knight. They have never |
| “We are concerned because the ports said the | | | | called at the ports before. Port officials estimate the |
| new fees would apply Oct. 1, but nothing has been | | | | two comapnies will eventually have 2,000 trucks in |
| done by anyone to set up the infrastructure to take | | | | operation. |
| payment of the fee and release the containers,” | | | | In return, the port will use clean-trucks funds to give |
| said Enrico Salvo, chairman of Carmichael International | | | | the companies a $20,000 rebate for each 2007 truck |
| Service, a Los Angeles freight forwarder and | | | | used at the port and another $10,000 per truck if |
| customs broker with a number of apparel clients. | | | | they make more than 600 port calls. A new truck |
| The ports originally called for a Sept. 3 meeting at | | | | costs about $100,000. |
| the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach, Calif., where the | | | | The use of out-of-state trucking companies has |
| ports’ two executive directors were to explain | | | | many local trucking companies fuming. They claim the |
| how the system was going to work. But that | | | | Phoenix companies don’t pay California business |
| meeting was pushed back to Sept. 11 because not | | | | taxes, they buy their trucks outside California and |
| enough information was available about the | | | | employ out-of-state support personnel. “They |
| fee-collecting software system. | | | | just screwed all the trucking companies on Terminal |
| With a deadline looming, the ports are not putting the | | | | Island [near the port] that sell new trucks,” said |
| software system up for bid. Instead, they are | | | | one Los Angeles trucking-industry executive. |
| considering installing the same software system used | | | | Port of Los Angeles spokesperson Arley Baker said |
| by PierPass Inc., a 3-year-old program that collects a | | | | the Port of Los Angeles now has about 115 trucking |
| $50–per–20-foot container fee on any cargo | | | | companies representing 8,200 trucks applying for the |
| picked up at the ports during the day. The ports’ | | | | Clean Trucks Program. |
| Clean Trucks fee system would be called PortCheck. | | | | That includes National Retail System, a New |
| “We [the two ports] are talking to the PierPass | | | | Jersey–based trucking concern with 200 |
| people to piggyback on their system,” said Port | | | | company-owned vehicles at its Los Angeles–area |
| of Long Beach spokesperson Art Wong. | | | | warehouse. |
| Port officials hope the fee collection system will be in | | | | Andy Miller, the company’s senior vice president |
| place by the time the Sept. 11 meeting takes place at | | | | of West Coast operations, said the company will buy |
| the Port of Long Beach’s boardroom, which | | | | at least 50 new trucks by Oct. 1 to participate in the |
| holds only 150 people. The meeting will be Webcast | | | | Port of Los Angeles’ incentive program. |
| for those unable to fit into the boardroom or unable | | | | Not all the trucking-company applications have been |
| to trek to Long Beach. | | | | processed, and shippers are wondering if there are |
| Amid all this is the uncertainty about whether a | | | | going to be enough trucks in the program to replace |
| lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by | | | | the 16,800 mostly independent drivers that have |
| the American Trucking Associations will put a | | | | been calling at the two ports for years. |
| temporary halt to part of the new Clean Trucks | | | | “Let’s just say the Port of Los Angeles’ |
| Program at the Port of Los Angeles. | | | | plan is going to severely restrict the number of |
| The ATA, a conglomeration of state trucking | | | | trucks in the program. And that is a concern,” |
| associations, objects to the port’s requirement | | | | said Erik Autor, vice president of international trade |
| that only drivers fully employed by trucking | | | | at the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C., |
| companies be allowed to participate in the program. | | | | whose members include Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target |
| The Port of Long Beach allows independent truck | | | | Corp. and Macy’s Inc. |
| drivers who work on a free-lance basis to enroll in | | | | And there is still a lot of confusion about how the |
| the Clean Trucks Program. | | | | program will work. “The infrastructure is not |
| U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder is hearing | | | | ready, and there is uncertainty with the drivers, the |
| arguments on Sept. 8 and will then decide whether a | | | | motor carriers and the customers,” said the |
| preliminary injunction should be issued forbidding the | | | | IWLA’s Senecal. “It will be amazing if this |
| use of only full-time truckers at the Port of Los | | | | program is up and functional on Oct. 1.” |
| Angeles. However, the ATA does not object to the | | | | But the Port of Los Angeles’ Baker said |
| clean-trucks portion of the program. | | | | everyone is determined to start on time. “Right |
| “I would say we are in a state of flux,” said | | | | now we are looking at Oct. 1,” he said. “But, |
| Patty Senecal, who is in charge of state government | | | | you know, as we move closer to that date, |
| affairs for the International Warehouse Logistics | | | | we’re looking at a number of things that we |
| Association and is a Los Angeles trucking-company | | | | need to have in place, and we will have to assess |
| executive. “The vast majority of the industry is | | | | how everything comes along. |