Despite opposition and the threat of potential lawsuits, the Port of Long Beach yesterday announced a $35 million order for 300 brand new environment-friendly trucks for the Clean Trucks Program, according to the LA Business Journal. Quick math tells us that comes to a whopping $116,650 per truck (roughly), but then, the Port’s plan is to gradually phase out all trucks built pre-1988 when the Program begins on October 1.
Read Nancy Pfeffer’s columns about the possible impacts of the Clean Trucks Program, here and here.
“We want to bring as many clean trucks to Long Beach as soon as we can, and especially replacements for the 1988 and older trucks that will not be allowed to work here beginning October 1,” Richard Steinke, the port’s executive director, said in a statement.
The Port also announced that Daimler will be handling loans for the new trucks, according to CunninghamReport.com, so that “independent owner-operators and licensed motor carriers wishing to finance replacement and modernization of older trucks through a port grant will go through Daimler.”
This is where the point of contention lies, because both the Port of Los Angeles and the trucking industry are against the Port’s plan to have independent drivers pay for their own trucks. Daimler will subsidize drivers for up to 80% of the cost, but only for drivers that meet very specific guidelines and agree to scrap their older, polluting trucks.
From LABJ,
“The trucking industry has objected to the plan, saying it will drive up costs and allow unions to organize drivers. The American Trucking Association has repeatedly said it will file a lawsuit to block the program.”
Still, the PoLB trucks on with its original plan, and still aims to help drivers replace guzzling trucks with 100 LNG trucks and 200 clean diesel trucks, in an effort to quickly improve operating emissions around the Port as it continues to grow in size and business.
And while some may not agree that the plan is the best idea, it is certainly one that will help begin the process of cleaning up Long Beach’s air. Looks like the LBPD is joining in the fun, too, adding ten new Priuses (Priui?) to its fleet, according to the Press-Telegram.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor