The Port of Long Beach has placed a $35-million order for 300 heavy-duty trucks to jumpstart its landmark Clean Trucks Program, which will begin replacing the existing port drayage trucking fleet to improve air quality later this year.
“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,” said Port Executive Director Richard Steinke.
Beginning October 1, the Clean Trucks Program will bar 1988 and older trucks from entering Port shipping terminals. By 2012, all 2006 and older trucks will be banned from the Port, and replaced by a new fleet, reducing truck-related pollution by 80 percent. To help truckers quickly replace the old polluting vehicles, the Port is providing truckers with financial assistance to acquire new clean trucks. Truckers who wish to apply for a grant or lease should call (888) KLN-TRUX or 888-556-8789.
Since it may take as long as two months or more for Port-designated dealers to deliver new vehicles, the Port has placed this order for 300 trucks: 100 Sterling liquefied natural gas-powered trucks and 200 Freightliner clean diesel-powered vehicles. (The 100 LNG vehicles are all truck manufacturer Sterling can produce by October 1.)
While the Port does not own or operate the thousands of trucks that serve its terminals, the Clean Trucks Program will greatly improve air quality by accelerating the replacement of dirty diesel trucks that would otherwise remain on the roadways for many years, if not decades.
