Port Truckers Can Drive Old Vehicles While Waiting

To be consistent with a new California Air Resources Board ruling, the Port of Los Angeles has made another amendment to its tariff to allow certain truck drivers to continue operating their old trucks beyond the Jan. 1, 2010 ban

date. The CARB rule, issued last week, will allow truck drivers that have purchased a new truck or retrofit with private funds to use their existing trucks through April 30, 2010.

The Port's announcement will allow the same extension to drivers who are waiting for their new truck to be delivered or for the retrofit to be installed. To qualify for the extension, the truck must be a Level 3 retrofit and also have a 25 percent NOx reduction capability.

The Port of Long Beach made similar changes to its tariff. However, if the retrofit on order does not have this additional NOx reduction capability, it will not meet the San Pedro Bay Ports environmental requirements so the extension will not be allowed in either port.

"We have worked closely with the Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District in recent months to get as much funding for new trucks into the hands of truck owners as we can," said John Holmes, deputy executive director of operations for the Port of Los Angeles. "These tariff ban extensions will allow time for the trucks to be delivered."

In its Drayage Truck Advisory issued Dec. 8, CARB said this latest extension was provided due to "delays in the availability of expected state bond funds" earlier in the year. The funding delays resulted in holdups in grant programs for truck replacements and retrofits, and may have caused a time crunch for truck owners who were denied state funding and who are now privately financing the upgrades.

To sign up for this latest extension, truckers need to be registered on both the State and Port Drayage Truck Registry by Dec. 30, and they must provide a copy of a purchase order or other evidence of a commitment of funds for the new truck or retrofit to CARB by Dec. 31, 2009.