Long Beach Port Proposes New Truck Fee

0

The Port of Long Beach plans to vote Monday on a fee structure to help fund the controversial program to clean up port trucking, officials announced today.


Under the proposal, every truck loaded with a full container of cargo would be charged a $35 fee each time it enters or leaves the port starting June 1, 2008 four months before the ports will begin banning the oldest and dirtiest rigs.


The Long Beach and Los Angeles ports have struggled for the past eight months to finalize the truck portion of their landmark Clean Air Action Plan. But the proposal has generated strong opposition from the trucking industry, which fears the new financial burdens will drive hundreds of companies out of business.


The port plans to use the money generated by the fee to replace or retrofit nearly all of the roughly 16,000 short-haul diesel trucks in use at the San Pedro port complex.


The Port of Los Angeles is expected to unveil an identical fee to be voted on by the Los Angeles Harbor Commission.


The ports are still considering the most controversial element of the truck plan, which would require all motor carriers to replace the independent contract drivers with employees.

No posts to display