Port of L.A. to Vote on Truck Plan

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The Port of Los Angeles will vote on a truck replacement program that requires motor carriers to hire employee drivers, marking an official break from its sister port in Long Beach.


Citing the overwhelming negative health impacts caused by more than 16,000 fume-emitting diesel trucks in the harbor, officials unveiled a final proposal for their long-delayed plan that they say will be sustainable in the long term and improve conditions for low-paid port drivers.


“The trucking system serving our ports is broken and cannot be fixed without a major transformation,” said Geraldine Knatz, Los Angeles port executive director, in a statement. “If we don’t create a responsible and financially viable port trucking system, a decade from now we’ll be throwing billions of dollars at this chronic problem once again.”


The ports have said the plan, which would replace virtually all of the short-haul diesel trucks in the harbor with cleaner-burning models, would reduce diesel truck emissions by 80 percent.


The Los Angeles harbor commission will vote on its plan at the board’s Thursday meeting.


The move is a major, but not unexpected, break from Long Beach, which recently adopted a plan that will allow motor carriers to use independent drivers or employees, as they are currently allowed.


The trucking industry has strongly resisted the employee mandate, saying it would raise its costs and open the door for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to organize port drivers. The American Trucking Association has also said it will bring a lawsuit if either port attempted to force motor carriers to hire employees.


Long Beach officials cited the legal threats when eschewing the provision, saying a court fight would delay the ultimate goal of cleaning the air. However, a recent study commissioned by L.A. from Boston Consulting Group concluded an employee-based plan would likely raise shipping costs but would be more sustainable in the long run.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a strong proponent of the employee-based plan, issued a statement Monday lauding the port for moving forward.

“L.A. is committed to a Clean Truck Program that will clean and green our port for the long haul ensuring that Southern Californians are breathing cleaner air for generations to come,” Villaraigosa said. “These recommendations pave the way toward less pollution and clear skies, and I urge the harbor commission to back this proposal and set this region on a course toward a greener, more sustainable future.”

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