As an organization of shipping industry leaders who have dedicated themselves to improving the air quality at our nation's ports, the members of Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT) are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in clean trucks in the Ports of LA and Long Beach, and at ports across the country.It has therefore been disappointing, in the wake of the recent legal settlement between the Port of Long Beach and the American Trucking Association, to read the assertions made by critics of the shipping community that private industry is somehow opposed to efforts to improve air quality at ports in Southern California.
In reality, the track record of the importers, exporters, trucking companies and ocean lines that comprise CRT tells a very different story.Here are some important facts to consider regarding the role that leaders in the shipping community are playing in the effort to improve air quality in Southern California:
- The shipping industry has been overwhelmingly supportive of the Ports' clean air goals.In fact, CRT and its member companies were among the earliest industry stakeholders to publicly support the dirty truck ban that was jointly adopted by the Ports of LA and Long Beach.The dirty truck ban, which is the most stringent emissions reduction program of any port in the nation, will prohibit any truck that does not meet 2007 emissions standards from entering the Port and will reduce truck emissions by over 80%.Though critics might have you believe otherwise, the aggressive clean truck requirements championed by Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and the Port of Long Beach remain firmly in place, unaffected by the recent settlement between POLB and ATA.
- As a result of industry efforts, dirty trucks are being taken off the road and the air is getting cleaner—years ahead of the Ports' very aggressive timelines.As of mid-September, nearly 5,000 clean trucks - big rigs that meet 2007 federal emissions standards or better - are moving more than half of the truck-hauled cargo at the Ports of LA and Long Beach.At the current rate of new truck replacement, it is possible that by January 2010 more than 90 percent of the cargo moves at Port terminals will be made by trucks meeting the very highest level of U.S. EPA truck emissions standards. This achievement will allow the San Pedro Bay ports to meet their 2012 goal of 80 percent emissions reductions from overall drayage operations three years ahead of schedule.Port of Long Beach Executive Director Richard D. Steinke recently noted that, “In a few months, we'll see nearly all the truck-hauled containers moved by clean trucks,” and went on to say that “The trucking industry is to be commended for turning over its truck fleet so rapidly.”
- While the Ports have made notable efforts to create incentive programs to help deploy clean trucks, their limited financial resources have meant that the overwhelming majority of the cost of truck replacement has been absorbed by the shipping community through higher trucking rates.However, this is a challenge that the shipping community has responded to in resounding fashion.CRT was a pioneer among shipping industry groups in creating a financial model to support the efforts of trucking companies to finance and deploy clean equipment in partnership with importers, exporters and ocean carriers.The financial investment that the shipping community has made in clean truck deploymenthas been lauded by the leadership of both Ports.In fact, in a recent press release celebrating the first anniversary of the Clean Truck Program, Mayor Villaraigosa commended the private sector investment being made at the Ports, saying “We very much appreciate the support and cooperation of the port trucking companies who have aggressively accelerated their investment in clean truck fleets.”
- The importers, exporters, ocean carriers and trucking companies that comprise CRT have been as committed to the livelihood of their truck drivers as they have been to air quality improvement.Our member companies have instituted innovative practices that have provided the financial support to finance truck replacement for both employee drivers and for the thousands of small business owners who serve our port as independent drivers.These programs range from down payment assistance and forgiveness programs to low interest lease-to-own programs that provide independent drivers to with a lower truck payment than they would have been able to find on their own.These newer trucks also help reduce driver expenses compared to the older trucks they are replacing through increased fuel efficiency and reliability, and reduced maintenance and repair costs.In this regard, not only does replacing and old truck benefit air quality, it benefits the bottom line of the driver too.
Despite the rhetoric of critics who would have you believe that the shipping community is fighting efforts to clean the air in Southern California, the track record of industry leaders like CRT and our member companies tells a very different story.Of course, industry efforts to reduce port emissions don't end in Southern California.
CRT has worked with ports around the country to support similar dirty truck bans, and just announced a partnership with the U.S. EPA to develop a national SmartWay certification program for port trucks, set benchmarks for air quality improvement at our nation's ports, and certify emission reductions that are achieved through the deployment of clean port trucks.
The air quality around the Ports is being improved through the real solutions, hard work and significant investment of private industry, not through the empty rhetoric of those who would have you believe that industry is not doing its part.
Since its inception in 2007, the Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT) has grown to include leading importers, exporters, trucking companies and ocean carriers who represent the largest and most progressive customers and service providers at our nation's ports.CRT member companies are committed to responsible stewardship of the environment and to taking leadership roles within their respective industries in the development of transportation related environmental initiatives.
CRT's membership in comprised of national shippers including Target, Best Buy, Converse, Dunavant Enterprises, Gap Inc., The Home Depot, HP, JC Penney, Lowe's, Nike, and Wal-Mart Stores; ocean carriers including NYK Group Companies, Hanjin Shipping, and “K” Line America; and drayage providers and equipment manufacturers including California Multimodal, LLC, Container Connection, Evans Delivery, Green Fleet Systems, GSC Logistics, Intermodal Bridge Transport, PDS Trucking, Performance Team, Southern Counties Express, Total Transportation Services, Inc., and Westport.
Contacts:
Coalition for Responsible Transportation
James Jack,
916-813-0839
CRT Executive Director
info@responsibletrans.org
www.responsibletrans.org
