PORTLAND, OR – Daimler Trucks North America celebrated the delivery of 132 new natural gas (NG)-fueled tractors to drivers who contract with California Cartage Company and 100 new NG trucks for the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles’ Clean Truck Program. Marking an innovative partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), and Cal Cartage, a private company committed to building a clean drayage fleet, the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles appear well on their way to becoming two of the “greenest” ports in the country.

Nearly $12 million in grant funding for California Cartage’s project has been provided by the SCAQMD using funding from a U.S. EPA grant and from California’s Proposition 1B Program.

In addition to the 132 vehicles delivered to California Cartage, the 100 NG vehicles earmarked for deployment by licensed motor carriers and owner operators doing business with the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles will help meet the objectives of the Ports’ Clean Truck Program. The deployment of these near-zero emission trucks will lead to immediate improvements in air quality while enabling California Cartage’s drivers and the ports to comply with stringent emissions reductions standards, setting new benchmarks in the future of harbor drayage.

California Cartage’s new low-emission NG fleet is the result of plans developed by California Cartage Company working in cooperation with the EPA, CARB, and the SCAQMD to remove older, pollution-creating trucks from the harbors. The initiative was developed to make the trucks more affordable for the benefit of owner operators working with California Cartage. The trucks, Sterling Set-Back 113s, are factory-built to be fueled with natural gas. Ideal for port operations as well as natural gas utilities and municipalities, the new NG trucks are powered by the Cummins Westport ISL G engines.

The Cummins Westport ISL G, an 8.9L stoichiometric cooled-exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) engine, offers low emissions without sacrificing performance and efficiency. Available in ratings up to 320 hp, the ISL G already meets EPA 2010 standards with 85-percent lower NOx emissions than the C Gas Plus engine and features the highest power-to-weight ratio in class with an optimized turbocharger. The ISL G also features a maintenance-free exhaust system with a three-way catalyst (TWC). No further technology or after treatment will be required to meet 2010 emissions standards.