For all its noble intentions, the environmental movement is transforming harbor trucking in ways unimagined by many, creating what might soon be critical shortages of trucks and drivers. The looming capacity shortage, along with higher regulatory costs, means steamship lines and shippers can expect to dig deeper for drayage services.
The number of trucks operating in Los Angeles-Long Beach has declined from 16,000 to 8,500 in two-plus years, in part because of the economy, but also because of the high costs of low-emission trucks -- as much as $150,000 per truck.
In addition to shouldering the financial burdens associated with the ports’ clean-trucks programs, truckers in Los Angeles and Long Beach face inefficient dock operations on a daily basis. Truckers endure delays to enter port terminals with fewer gates and reduced staffing levels, forcing them to spend two to three hours to perform a transaction that took just an hour prior to 2008.
Ocean carriers are reporting profits and, for some, the good times are rolling again, yet they continue to place more financial demands on truckers by charging unfair container-detention charges and demanding they rent chassis from the lines or provide them themselves.
Implementation of California’s landmark global warming law will add to truckers’ financial pressure for years to come.
The seeming indifference to the plight of truckers shown by ocean carriers, terminal operators and government officials, particularly those in Los Angeles, has brought the frustration level among motor carriers to the boiling point.
LA-Long Beach motor carriers have pumped $800 million into eco-friendly fleets, and port officials shouldn’t expect them to add to their investments anytime soon. It’s time to see a return on their investments.