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Clean Trucks Program
Date: September 18, 2008
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced
last week their intent to continue with the implementation of
the Clean Trucks Program and begin assessment of a Clean Trucks
Fee (CTF) effective October 1, 2008. The Clean Trucks Program,
part of the broader Clean Air Action Plan jointly adopted by the
Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions two years ago, aims
to improve air quality in the region by reducing diesel emissions
from older, high-polluting trucks.
Key components of the Clean Trucks Program to
be implemented on October 1, 2008 include the following:
- Clean Trucks Phase-In Schedule:
- 10/1/2008: All trucks equipped with an engine
model year of 1988 and older will be banned from all terminals,
unless retrofitted with a newer engine.
- 1/1/2010: All trucks equipped with an engine
model year of 1989 to 1993 and in addition, an engine model
year of 1994 to 2003 which is not retrofitted with approved
diesel emission controls, will be banned from all terminals.
- 1/1/2012: All trucks equipped with engines
that do not meet 2007 EPA emission standards will be banned
from all terminals.
- Trucks equipped with an engine model year
between 1989 and 2006 will be assessed a CTF of $35.00 per 20'
TEU (20' equivalent unit) and $70.00 per 40'/40'HQ/45' container.
For engine model year 2007, CTF will not be assessed unless an
exemption applies.
- CTF will be assessed on loaded import and
export containers and charged to the beneficiary cargo owners
(BCO) by the marine terminal operators. PortCheck, a new organization
created by the terminal operators, will collect the CTF from cargo
owners and remit fees to the ports. CTF does not apply to on-dock
rail movements.
- Local and intermodal cargo must be "claimed"
by the BCO via PortCheck prior to movement to and from the terminals.
- Trucks will be allowed access to the ports
only if they operate for a trucking firm (Licensed Motor Carrier)
with a port-approved concession agreement and the trucks are registered
in the drayage truck registry database. The drayage truck registry
will be used by the terminal operators to identify the age of
the trucks. Drivers employed by trucking firms must have a Transportation
Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card or be in the process
of obtaining a card.
More Information on PortCheck
PortCheck will develop and administer the system
to verify access of trucks to the terminal and collect the CTF
from BCOs. It will operate online in the same manner as PierPass.
The system will identify the age of the truck via the drayage
truck registry, confirm it is operated by a trucking firm with
a port-approved concession agreement, determine the applicable
CTF amount, bill the CTF to the BCO, collect the CTF from the
BCO, and remit the fees to the ports.
All BCOs must sign up and register for credit
with PortCheck. BCOs that are currently registered with PierPass
will have their information automatically transferred to the PortCheck
database.
Beneficiary cargo owners may register directly
with PortCheck and administer the claiming of cargo and payment
of the CTF for their own account or elect James J. Boyle &
Co. to coordinate this on their behalf. Since it is very critical
for the timely movement of containers to and from the terminals,
we request that you confirm with us as early as possible whether
CTF payment will be coordinated by your company or if you require
us to take care of the payment on your behalf. The
clean truck fee confirmation form can be completed for each
shipment or as a blanket for all subsequent transactions.
If we are requested to coordinate the CTF payment
on your behalf, we will be assessing a nominal service charge
of $20.00 per container.
Late Developments
On September 12, 2008, the Federal Maritime
Commission issued a request to the involved parties for additional
information on the Clean Trucks Program. The FMC stated that the
request is being made due to serious concerns about potentially
unreasonable increases in transportation costs or decreases in
transportation services that may result from the CTP. This may
delay implementation of the CTP.
Also, the West Coast Marine Terminal Operators
(MTO) Agreement has submitted a letter to the Ports of Los Angeles
and Long Beach requesting that the ports postpone the effective
date for assessment of the CTF from October 1, 2008 to January
1, 2009. The MTOs state that work necessary for implementation
of the CTP cannot be completed by the October 1, 2008 start date.
Here again, this may delay the assessment of the CTF.
Information on the Clean Trucks Program
Additional information and details on the Clean
Trucks Program may be accessed online:
Port of Los Angeles: www.portoflosangeles.org
POLA Presentation: http://lacity.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=4156
Port of Long Beach: www.polb.com/cleantrucks
POLB Workshop: http://www.polb.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5618
PortCheck: www.portcheck.org
Drayage Truck Registry: http://dtr.cleanairactionplan.org
PierPass: www.pierpass-tmf.org
The information
accompanying this webpage contains confidential information. The
information is intended only for the use of customers of James
J. Boyle & Co. You are hereby notified that any disclosure,
copying, distribution or the taking of any action in reliance
on the content of this information is strictly prohibited. James
J. Boyle & Co. will also not be held accountable for any discrepant
information. The service we provide is based on our "Terms and
Conditions of Service", which is available upon request.
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