Clean Trucks Called Too Costly for Contractors

Environmental and labor interests warned Thursday that the clean-air benefits being realized today by the introduction of thousands of new trucks in Los Angeles-Long Beach harbor will be lost in subsequent years if the independent contractor drivers are not able to afford proper maintenance of the vehicles.

The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports released a study of the ports’ clean-air programs at a meeting of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners.

The coalition of environmental and community organizations and labor unions said the cost of maintaining a 2007-10 model clean truck in the first year of operation is about $2,200. The maintenance and repair costs rapidly accelerate over time to exceed $8,500 a year.

“Over the course of a standard seven-year lease the costs skyrocket to $60,000,” the coalition stated.

Furthermore, improper maintenance of a clean truck can cause nitrogen oxide emissions to increase by 80 percent and particulate matter emissions to increase by 50 percent, according to a 2009 study by the Environmental Protection Agency, the coalition stated.

The Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports supports the Port of Los Angeles clean-truck program, which seeks to ensure financial stability in harbor drayage by phasing out the use of independent contractors until only licensed motor carriers with employee drivers work in the harbor. Motor carriers with employee drivers could be legally organized by labor unions.

Long Beach’s plan allows the use of independent contractors as well as licensed motor carriers with employee drivers. Independent contractors, known in the harbor as owner-operators, can not, by law, be organized by labor unions.

Next week the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles is scheduled to hear a challenge to the Port of Los Angeles clean-truck requirements brought by the American Trucking Associations.

Contact Bill Mongelluzzo at bmongelluzzo@joc.com