PORT OF LOS ANGELES TERMINALS SIMPLIFY PROCESS FOR CARGO OWNERS USING CLEAN TRUCKS
Starting Nov. 15th, Exempt Trucks No Longer Required to Claim Cargo
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — Beginning on Nov. 15th, Port of Los Angeles terminals will eliminate the claiming process for cargo carried by clean trucks, simplifying the process and saving importers and exporters at the Port from a time-consuming and administrative burden. The decision to simplify the claiming process came out of a series of meetings held by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach with the West Coast Marine Terminals Operators Association in recent months.
Under the new system, cargo owners at Port of Los Angeles terminals using 2007 emissions-compliant trucks to move local or intermodal rail cargo will no longer be required to pay the Clean Truck Fee. Only cargo owners who are still using trucks that do not meet 2007 emission standards will be required to claim cargo and pay the fee.
“In listening to the needs of our customers who have so enthusiastically embraced the Clean Truck Program in its first year, we are now able to eliminate this tedious step,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “With a 70-percent reduction in average air emissions compared to 2007, we will continue to look for ways to sustain and refine the extraordinarily successful Clean Truck Program.”
Additionally, the Port of Los Angeles has enhanced its Clean Truck Program website, which now includes a wide range of information on all aspects of the program, including overviews, program participants, updated statistics, drayage truck registry, grant and funding opportunities and more. In the next few days, the port’s website will provide additional details regarding the new claiming procedures, including a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that may be helpful as the system goes into effect on November 15, 2009.
The Clean Truck Program, which took effect Oct. 1, 2008, is designed to replace aging, dirty trucks with clean trucks and reduce air pollution by 80 percent by 2012. In the program’s first year at the Port of Los Angeles, emissions have been reduced by 70 percent and more than 66 percent of all containers moved through the port are currently carried by clean trucks.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars.
The Port of Los Angeles – A cleaner port. A brighter future.