In June of 2006, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach took unprecedented joint action to improve air quality in the South Coast Air Basin by introducing the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. It was a sweeping agenda that aimed at significantly reducing the health risks posed by air pollution from port related ships, trains, trucks, terminal equipment and harbor craft. It called for a 50% reduction in pollution related to the port industry within 5 years.
Under the Clean Air Action Plan, diesel particulate matter (PM) would be reduced by a total of 1,200 tons a year and nitrogen oxide (NOx) would be reduced by 12,000 tons a year. This would be a huge undertaking for the Ports where more than $260 billion a year in trade and more than 40% of the nation’s containerized cargo moves through to the country’s marketplaces.
California Cartage Company, being one of the nation’s largest drayage trucking companies, didn’t hesitate to take the lead. In response to this strong call to reduce emissions from the ports, the company developed and implemented the California Cartage Company Natural Gas Port Truck Project, the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) truck deployment project in the nation. The efforts resulted in a revolutionary lease-to-own program with 400 LNG trucks serving the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The fleet represents nearly 50% of all alternative fuel trucks in the San Pedro Bay Ports. These LNG trucks emit 83% less nitrogen oxide (NOx), no diesel particulate matter (PM) and 23% less greenhouse gases than the cleanest late model year diesel trucks. In addition to its nearly 400 strong LNG fleet, the company has aggressively upgraded the rest of its operation to new state-of-the-art clean diesel technologies.On April 20, 2010 – well ahead of the Ports 5 year plan – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors honored the California Cartage Company and its President, Robert Curry, with a 2010 Green Leadership Award in recognition of significant accomplishments in the areas of energy conservation and environmental sustainability.