This year, I am the Board Chair of the Yolo Solano Air Quality Management District. Last Wednesday we had our monthly meeting. One of the information items was about the Air Resources Board program for Drayage Truck Regulation.
I had not heard the term "drayage truck" before but these are the trucks that go in and out of California ports and intermodal rail yards. You can read more about the Drayage Truck regulation program here.
After listening to the presentation I am convinced that this is exactly the kind of thing that is killing business in California. It is what we elect pro-business candidates to stop.
The concept of the program is that ports and rail yards need to have even more stringent requirement for particulate matter (PM) than other areas of the state. As a result only certain trucks are allowed entry into these facilities to transport goods and material out the gates.
What ultimately happens to trucking outfits with a diverse fleet is that the newer vehicles go in the gate to pick up the haul and then passes it off to a truck right outside the gate that does not meet the drayage truck requirements for the haul to the final destination.
What this means for trucking outfits with smaller and older fleets is that they simply are not able to transport goods out of ports or rail yards. We have basically excluded trucks from entering the Port of Long Beach or Port of Sacramento even though they can make a delivery to the facility right next door — and drive tens of thousands of miles a year making deliveries all around San Pedro, Los Angeles, or West Sacramento.
This is the sort of regulation that really baffles me. This same truck can drive circles around a local Woodland elementary school all day and night but can’t pick up or drop off a load of almonds at the Port of West Sacramento.
I understand the desire for clean air. I actually support most of those efforts. Not this one.
This is exactly the sort of thing that is sending business to Texas.