California Truckers Call for Collaborative Strategy to Lower Emissions and Improve Air Quality
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Calling the current strategy to retrofit and replace trucks moving goods through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach “unfeasible,” the California Trucking Association is advocating a collaborative strategy to port officials to develop an alternative plan that will still meet emission goals.
This collaboration needs to begin with the Ports issuing a new timetable for implementation of their Clean Air Action Plan. The proposed implementation date of January 1, 2008 would substantially disrupt goods moving into and out of the ports, thereby causing a serious destabilization to the supply chain and economy. “Everyone in the supply chain needs time to prepare and adjust to the potential impacts of this plan. Asking for a public timetable is not an extraordinary request but an essential one to businesses, consumers and the health of our economy,” noted C.J. Nord of the California Furniture Manufacturers Association.
Ideally, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will announce their intentions to lay out a revised timetable and to explore a new CAAP strategy when they hold a joint meeting this coming Friday, October 12.
Besides very real impacts to the national and international supply chain that runs through the ports, the plan as envisioned will also have grave economic impacts. “Based on the findings in a study conducted by economist John Husing, the plan that is now under review has serious problems, particularly recognizing that local carriers won’t remain in the industry should the employee provision stand. The impact of a large loss of drivers that move goods into and out of the ports would be immediately felt and negatively impact the local and state economies,” said Julie Sauls of the California Trucking Association.
The CTA believes that involved entities, such as the Ports of LA and Long Beach, the CTA, the California Retailers Association, California Furniture Manufacturing Association and California and Los Angeles Chambers, must work jointly on a plan that addresses flaws in the existing plan while keeping environmental goals intact. Leaving key groups out of further discussions will only lead to further delays in cleaning up the air at the ports. “The CTA and business community are well positioned to identify ways to upgrade the California trucking fleet, keep goods moving and improve air quality,” added Nord.
Of particular concern among independent operators was the key provision in the Port Truck Plan that would require truck drivers to become employees of a consolidated number of large concessionaires at the ports. Moreover, the plan called for an immediate implementation date of January 1, 2008.
The Husing study suggests that the results of the provisions and timeline would have meant higher transportation costs upwards of 80%, fewer drivers and a backlog at the ports reminiscent of the dock workers strike five years ago that shut down all major West Coast ports for 10 days, costing the national economy an estimated $10 billion.
What has remained clear is that drivers are committed to protecting their choice of remaining independent. “Any plan that denies that choice is non-negotiable,” noted Sauls.
While only responsible for a tenth of the overall emissions at the port, the trucking industry is committed to doing its fair share toward improving air quality at the ports. “We want to be a partner in creating solutions, but the trucking industry refuses to be continually mischaracterized as a primary source of emissions at the port and have the public sold on a port truck plan that, in reality, only focuses on a small part of total emissions,” said Sauls.
Contact: Julie Sauls
916.801.8928
California Trucking Association
CONTACT: Julie Sauls of California Trucking Association,+1-916-801-8928