The Massachusetts Port Authority has announced that the first truck under its new Clean-Truck program — an initiative with the Environmental Protection Agency that awards truck owners who replace their vehicles with more efficient models — has been purchased and is now in service.
The program provides truck owners who frequent Massport’s Conley Container Terminal with a financial incentive to trade their vehicles for newer technology trucks that meet 2007-model emissions standards or better.
Massport is providing $1 million for the clean-truck project, while the EPA will fund another $500,000 through an EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant. Truck owners will be provided with 50% of the total cost of their replacement vehicle, up to a maximum of $25,000.
Owner-operator John Jones, contracted to drive for Atlantic Beverage Express in Braintree, MA, purchased the first clean diesel replacement truck, a 2008 Kenworth W900L, last month, according to Massport.
Massport is anticipating replacing at least 60 trucks through the program.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the South Carolina Ports Authority and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have all implemented similar clean-truck programs over the past year.