Effective January 1, every local short-haul or “drayage” truck calling at the Port of Los Angeles will meet the strictest clean air and safety standards of any major port in the world.

New Year’s Day 2012 marks the final milestone of the Clean Truck Program (CTP), the Port’s unprecedented initiative that has succeeded in slashing harmful diesel particulate emissions from trucks serving the San Pedro Bay Ports by 89 percent in about three years.

“The Clean Truck Program has shown that you can be green and grow the Port of Los Angeles at the same time,’’ said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “By cutting harmful diesel emissions, we are building a healthier Los Angeles.”

“The Port of Los Angeles, along with our industry partners, has made the business of moving cargo cleaner,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “The results speak for themselves, and we couldn’t be more proud of reaching this milestone.”

As a result of the progressive ban adopted in 2006 and enacted in 2008, 1,473 of the current drayage fleet of 11,772 trucks now serving the Port of Los Angeles will retire from port service on Jan. 1. That date marks the final leg of a phased-in program to replace all dirty heavy-duty drayage trucks serving the Port with rigs whose engines meet or exceed 2007 standards.

January 1, 2012, also marks the end of the $35 per TEU (“twenty-foot equivalent unit” or 20-foot cargo container) clean truck fee collected for every gate moved made by a truck that did not meet the 2007 clean engine standards during the transition. The fees generated approximately $60 million, which the Port had previously invested in assisting industry to convert the fleet.

The CTP has been a crucial component of the 2006 Clear Air Action Plan (CAAP), an ambitious, ground-breaking environmental undertaking that sought to cut pollution 45 percent from all port related sources – ships, trains, trucks, harbor craft, and off-road equipment – by the end of 2011.

Specific accomplishments include:

• Clean Air: The Port met and exceeded the goal of reducing harmful emissions from trucks by at least 80 percent and did so ahead of schedule. Emissions studies comparing overall emissions for 2010 with those of 2005 show a 92 percent reduction of sulfur oxides, an 89 percent of diesel particulate matter, and a 77 percent reduction of nitrogen oxides – the primary pollutants associated with smog and unhealthy air.

• Accountability: For the first time in the history of America’s busiest port (as measured by container volume and cargo value), every truck and its owner are now known to Port authorities due to the landmark concession agreement under which drayage companies now operate. Agreements with each Licensed Motor Carrier serving the Port ensure that environmental, safety, and security standards are met, which include proper truck maintenance. Prior to the CTP, there was zero accountability of some 16,800 trucks calling at the terminals.

• Smart Incentives: The Port provided $44 million in incentives to bring 2,200 clean trucks (more than 20 percent of today’s fleet) to the Port; $12.5 million in incentives for natural gas-fueled trucks; and more than $3.6 million in incentives to reward companies for putting clean trucks into regular service at the Port.

• Successful Partnering with Industry: The trucking industry rose to the challenge of swiftly converting to cleaner equipment. The CTP spurred more than $1 billion in private investment in clean truck leases and purchases.

• Statewide Leadership: The CTP led the way for clean truck standards throughout California. Statewide, all drayage trucks must meet 2007 clean engine standards by Jan. 1, 2014.

• Green Technology: The program not only put cleaner-burning diesel trucks on the road faster, it sparked use of about 900 trucks whose engines run on alternative fuels: liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG). The Port is continuing in its technology advancement efforts by pursuing and investing in zero emission technologies. The Port is funding the development and demonstration of diesel hybrids trucks that operate on batteries when in the port area, plug-in all-electric trucks, and hydrogen fuel cell trucks. To date, the Port has invested approximately $6 million for these projects, with a commitment to continue evaluating and potentially funding other zero emission technologies.
   

The Port is working toward a commercially feasible zero emission truck that can be operated in full duty cycles in port operations to ensure clean air benefits continue to grow. The zero emissions truck demonstration project is an integral part of the future of port trucking, which reaffirms the Port’s ongoing commitment to clean air and sets new near-term and long-term goals for further reduction of air pollution from port related sources.