Seattle port gets scrappy

Not scrappy in the way one might think—this is Seattle after all and this town is anything but scrappy even on a bad day. But the Port of Seattle is going scrap-happy about trucks.

The port launched its on-line program aimed at registering newer, cleaner drayage trucks that access its container terminals on Jan. 1. As of that date all port drayage trucks entering Seattle’s terminals must adhere to new Clean Truck Program Guidelines.

Requirements include:

– All trucks must have model-year 1994 or newer engines.

– All trucks must be registered in the Port’s Drayage Truck Registry and display the Green Gateway sticker on the driver’s side door.

The program is designed to support the goals of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, which aims to lower emissions from all sectors of maritime operations. So far, the port says more than 5,929 trucks and over 1,100 trucking companies and truck owners are registered in the Drayage Truck Registry (DTR).

Registration can be done online or in person at the Port of Seattle’s Drayage Truck Registry office located at the Terminal 5 CFS Building, 3443 West Marginal Way SW. Hours are 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Drayage trucks with engines older than model-year 1994 may be eligible for a $5,000 “bounty” through the ScRAPS Program (Scrappage and Retrofits for Air in Puget Sound). For more information, contact: Cascade Sierra Solutions, 200 SW Michigan Street, Seattle, WA 98108, 206-988-8893. Since the program began in 2009, 269 trucks have been scrapped.

The Port of Tacoma has a similar clean-truck program and scrapping plan in place. Tacoma maintains a database of trucks serving its port, with information on truck age and owner information. Tacoma’s drayage fleet numbered nearly 3100 at the end of 2009.

Although fairly new, the programs at Tacoma and Seattle, including the idea of incentive payments to get the older drays off of port roads, shows that a market-based, collaborative approach to cleaning-up truck emissions makes good and sustainable business sense.