In an effort to relieve truck congestion and pollution around ports, a panel of port officials and other business representatives, including truck carriers, may recommend that shippers pay higher fees to use the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach during the day.
The aim is to encourage port pick-ups and drop-offs outside of the peak 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. period, according to the panel’s report, which says that only 17 percent of cargo moves at night and weekends at these facilities.
Large shippers such as Wal-Mart are willing to move freight during off-peak hours, company officials said. “We are committed to doing whatever we can to move some freight traffic to off-peak hours," Wal-Mart official Sarah Clark said in a prepared statement.
The panel is expected to offer a specific recommendation for easing congestion at its January 15 meeting.
