As part of the program, trucks were mandated to be equipped with radio frequency identification tags to be verified against a California Air Resources Board drayage truck registry.
'This program was announced to truckers several months ago, and the original effective date was postponed by two weeks by CARB to permit motor carriers additional time to bring themselves into compliance with the port's requirements,' said the non-profit entity set up to enforce the ban. 'The port and the terminal operators have held numerous outreach meetings with motor carriers to inform them of the program's requirements.
'While there were some delays and transition issues as with the first day of any program, we believe Tuesday went reasonably well.
According to the terminal operators, 92 percent of trucks were allowed into the port terminals. Trucks that were banned by the terms of the port tariff, those with CARB or RFID database problems, and trucks with no RFID tags were not permitted through the gates.
'There were some instances where technical problems gave trucks a problem as well as others with registration or CARB issues, all of which were referred to the Diagnostic Center on Maritime Street for assistance,' the operators said. 'The terminal operators are confident that the process will become smoother in coming days as all parties become more familiar with the port's new requirements.'
