Dec 2 2009
The Coalition for Responsible Transportation’s (CRT) truck fleets serving the Oakland Port have achieved compliance with the Port of Oakland’s Clean Truck Management Plan’s (CTMP) emissions standards.
A report from the California Air Resources Board estimates that all 200 clean trucks launched by CRT member companies - GSC Logistics and California Multimodal Inc. (CMI) – the two largest fleet companies serving Oakland Port, will bring down 85% of diesel particulate matter per mile driven.
Demonstrating their commitment to the CTMP- articulated clean air goals, the CMI and GSC truck fleets for the Port of Oakland are 100% compliant with the dirty truck ban slated to commence on January 1, 2010.
Omar Benjamin, Port of Oakland’s Executive Director, commented that GSC and CMI were the first companies to accept the dirty truck ban challenge. He added that these companies stand as live demonstrations of the trucking industry’s capabilities to comply with new environmental standards with cleaner, low-emission trucks that will create a healthier community.
The Oakland clean port truck deployment effort for meeting the pot’s clean air goals is associated with a cost of $70 million, which posed challenges in terms of funding. The strong support of the shipping community has made the deployment possible. More than 90% of CMI and GSC trucks were privately financed through a financial support model involving the company, truck driver, and the international traders who have undertaken financial commitments for using the companies’ trucks.
To improve the livelihood of truck drivers, GSC and CMI have established innovative practices that offer financial assistance for retrofits and replacements. The assistance ranges from forgiveness programs and down payment assistance to lease-to-own programs at low interest.
Source: www.cmiamerica.com