Container Terminals Introduce TruckTags to Comply with Port of Oakland’s Ban on Dirty Trucks

OAKLAND, Calif., December 2, 2009 – Beginning Tuesday, December 15, 2009, the container terminals at the Port of Oakland will require trucks to be equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) devices called TruckTags and be registered in eModal’s TruckerCheck system.
In order to reduce air pollution, the Port of Oakland has announced that as of January 1, 2010, it will ban from marine terminals all drayage trucks with engine year models earlier than 1994. Model year 1994 to 2003 trucks must be retrofitted with diesel particulate filters or engines that meet equivalent standards. The ban requires the Port of Oakland’s container terminals to deny entry to drayage trucks that don’t meet these standards, which are set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Tags are required by December 15 to allow for testing and ensure operational capacity in advance of the January 1, 2010, deadline.
With TruckTags, the port’s container terminals are using RFID technology to meet the heightened air quality requirements while maintaining the efficient flow of cargo through the Oakland port and minimizing truck idling time. Similar to E-ZPass and FasTrak automated toll systems, RFID tags installed on the truck’s driver-side rearview mirror are automatically read at the port using specialized scanning antennas that validate the CARB clearance of the truck.
Trucking companies should complete the following steps to prepare for the January 1, 2010, clean trucks requirement:
• Register in eModal’s TruckerCheck system.
• Obtain tags by logging onto www.emodal.com and selecting "Trucks/RFID/Buy RFID Tags."
• Once you receive your RFID TruckTag, register the tag numbers in the eModal TruckerCheck system, which will activate the TruckTag in the system.
• Install the RFID TruckTag using the instructions included with the tag.
• Register your truck in CARB’s Drayage Truck Registry (www.arb.ca.gov/drayagetruck).
More information about the TruckTag program is available at the website of The Oakland Marine Terminal Operators Association, http://www.oakmtoa.org , www.emodal.com and www.portofoakland.com.




From support_oak7th@mtcorp.com