National Retail Systems, provider of global logistics services to America's retailers, has deployed 115 clean air pier trucks to comply with the Clean Truck Program requirements at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.


Under Clean Truck Program provisions, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have created a not-for-profit company called PortCheck to collect a $70 per 40-foot shipping container fee for shipments entering and leaving the port on a non U.S. EPA 2007 compliant truck. Cargo owners are responsible for paying the clean truck fee, payable by credit card or electronic funds transfer, before a loaded container can enter or leave any marine terminal in Los Angeles or Long Beach.

According to Raymond Wisniewski, president and COO of NRS, their clean air fleet will help retailers and customers avoid the fees and help to improve the environment in Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Last year, the company applied to participate in the Port of Los Angeles incentive program and immediately began privately financing the acquisition of new trucks that exceed the standards of the program. These trucks are in full compliance with 2007 guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that exempt them from Clean Truck Program fees. NRS is operating the trucks with company-hired drivers in cooperation with local labor unions.

The NRS clean truck pier fleet has the capacity to handle 70,000 TEU imports per year, with plans to increase the fleet to handle 300,000 TEU imports per year by the end of 2009.