Long Beach follows LA’s loophole-closing lead
California's Port of Long Beach has amended its Clean Truck Program in a move that parallels similar changes made by the neighboring Port of Los Angeles on Dec. 16.
The Long Beach Harbor Commission voted Monday to include smaller
drayage trucks, known as Class 7 trucks as opposed to the more common and heavier Class 8 trucks, in the program (which seeks to cut emissions from container-carrying rigs). The commission also voted to add penalty provisions in the program for trucking companies that switch cargo from 'clean' to 'dirty' trucks outside port terminals, known as 'dray-offs.'
'The use of older, more polluting Class 7 trucks and dray-offs give firms an unfair advantage over trucking companies that follow the letter and the spirit of the Clean Trucks Program,' the port said in a statement. 'Although there are no statistics on dray-offs, there is anecdotal evidence that a few companies are using the practice to circumvent the Clean Trucks requirements.'
