Ocean cargo: American Trucking Associations calls Port of L.A.’s “Clean Air” program flawed

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor -- Logistics Management, 6/17/2008

SAN FRANCISCO—Chances that the port of Los Angeles will succeed with its plans to mandate new policies for drayage drivers are just two, said Curtis Whalen, executive director of the American Trucking Association’s Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference: slim and none.

 “We are simply amazed at how frequently the city and port comes out with statements about their plans,” he said. “It just gives us more ammunition for our law suit.”

 Which may come sooner, than later, he added.

 Speaking on a panel examining “Ag Trucking Efficiency” at this year’s annual meeting of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), Whalen insisted that clean air is not the issue.

 “When the port began making plans to require drivers to be employees, a perfect target surfaced for the Teamsters to organize. In fact, union leaders are using this as a test case to promote similar actions nationwide.”

 But that’s only one reason his organization is fighting it, he said: “The main sticking point is that it’s illegal.”

 And counter productive, said Matt Schrap, manager of environmental affairs for the California Trucking Association. Joining Whalen on the panel, he observed that the issue is becoming overly complex.

 “Rather than have a patchwork of rules and regulations governing the drayage operations, we should be relying on a set of standards that apply across the board,” he said. “The California Air Resources Board is all over this now, and has come up a with a sensible solution that can be enforced efficiently and long-term.”

 AgTC executive director, Peter Friedmann, asked Whalen if this episode points to “californication of the rest of the nation.”

 “It’s definitely a line in the sand,” said Whalen. “It represents a move by ports to alter the rules set by inter-state commerce, and is strictly out of their domain. We have to take a stand now so that this does not spread across the country.”