The Port of Long Beach and its industry partners showed Tuesday how one port trucking company is converting to a full zero-emissions trucking fleet three years from now, a full decade before the 2035 zero-emissions goal set by the Clean Air Action Plan, according to the Port of Long Beach release.
The announcement was made at 4 Gen Logistics in the Port of Long Beach, where Electrify America will install 60 public charging stations by the end of 2023 to serve its own fleet of electric trucks, as well as other companies’ trucks. 4 Gen will also purchase 41 Volvo and 20 Kenworth electric heavy-duty trucks, with plans eventually calling for a 100-vehicle zero emissions fleet. In addition, 4 Gen’s site in Rialto will host 30 charging stations.
Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero noted the progress being made by the Port in the quest for zero emissions. For example, about $70 million in grant funding has been secured to support $150 million in demonstration projects that are deploying zero-emissions and near zero-emissions cargo handling equipment and trucks at Port of Long Beach terminals and on the roads of Southern California.
The Port of Long Beach has set an industry-leading goal to achieve zero-emissions drayage trucking by 2035. Collection of the Clean Truck Fund rate began on April 1, 2022. Cargo owners are paying up to $20 per loaded container hauled by drayage trucks in and out of the container terminals. Exemptions from the rate are provided for loaded containers hauled by zero-emissions trucks, and under limited circumstances, by low-nitrogen oxide trucks. Each port’s tariff requires payment of the CTF rate by cargo owners or their authorized agents, and includes a provision prohibiting payment by drayage trucks or operators.
Phasing out older, more polluting trucks has been key to clean air gains the San Pedro Bay ports have made since the original Clean Truck programs were launched in 2008. Diesel emissions from trucks have been cut by as much as 97% compared to 2005 levels.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $200 billion in trade annually.