California Gov. Gray Davis has signed a bill into law that may reduce wait times for truckers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, which is currently closed due to a labor dispute.
Assembly Bill 2650 is intended to reduce diesel emissions from trucks moving cargo in and out of the ports by imposing a $250 fine on terminal operators when trucks are forced to idle 30 minutes or longer when waiting to enter the gate.
However, the fine will only be instituted at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, the governor said. And terminals that implement a scheduling system or longer hours will be exempted.
Even prior to the labor dispute, heavy freight volume caused significant delays at the Southern California port complex, according to the California Trucking Assn. (CTA). CTA says intermodal carriers reported long lines outside and inside marine terminals, chassis shortages, piers closing early because of too many trucks in their yards, and areas being closed inside terminals after drivers waited for hours. CTA cited strong import bookings from Asia throughout September, which combined with the lockout of longshoremen, could produce appalling conditions for truckers at the ports.