On March 20th, Los Angeles Harbor Commission approved a Clean Truck Program for the Port of LA similar to the one approved by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners last month. The program goes into effect on October 1st. One major difference is that the LA Port Plan requires that drivers be employees of port-approved concessionaires. There also are differences with respect to exemptions and financing.
As to the driver issue, the Los Angeles Harbor Commission says
that its requirement that drivers be employees of port-approved
concessionaires will allow it to enforce compliance more effectively,
reduce the impact of trucks driving into communities and parking in
front of homes or businesses, and lead to efficiencies that will reduce
pollution.
As to exemptions, like the Long Beach program, the Los Angeles
program exempts cargo owners who use specified clean trucks from paying
a Clean Trucks Fee of $35 per loaded 20-foot-equivalent container unit
(TEU). The Los Angeles program, however, gives a 100 percent exemption
to all privately funded 2007-compliant trucks—including diesel
retrofits, LNG, electric, alternative fuel, or other acceptable “best
technology” vehicles—as well as to publicly funded alternative fuel and
“best technology” vehicles (publicly funded 2007-compliant diesel
trucks or retrofits are not exempt). The Long Beach program provides
exemptions only to privately funded trucks: 100 percent for all
2007-compliant trucks (including diesel) put into service before Oct.
1; 100 percent for LNG or other alternative-fuel trucks put into
service after Oct. 1; and 50 percent for 2007-compliant diesel trucks
put into service after Oct. 1.
As to financing, the Los Angeles program provides grants of up
to 80 percent of the purchase price for 2007-compliant diesel and LNG
trucks versus the Long Beach program’s grants of $90,000 to $120,000
for LNG or other alternative-fuel trucks and $60,000 to $75,000 for a
clean diesel truck. For detailed information on the plan, go to
www.portoflosangeles.org.
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