An ongoing debate in Los Angeles recently came to a head when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the American Trucking Association (ATA). You see, being the clean-conscious city it is, back in 2008 Los Angeles started its own program to cut back on curb pollution called the Clean Truck Program. In a way, it made sense since L.A. is the largest port in the country and not having any kind of program in action likely brought in tons of pollution- something L.A. certainly did not want.
What Was The Problem?
However, the city became a little too hardcore with the program when it started to force trucking companies to abide by rules truckers felt were unfair. One of the rules that angered many was one that forced trucks to display placards that stated, “How am I driving?” With the placard was a number anyone could call to report environmental or safety issues. Companies that refused the rules could face criminal penalties. Another rule truckers took issue with was one that forced trucks to have off-site parking locations when trucks were not in use. Many truckers felt these rules were being used not to ensure clean air as they were advertised, but to discriminate against certain kinds of truckers.
The Supreme Court Ruling
So when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of getting rid of these two rules, the ATA was more than satisfied. The L.A. Times quotes the president of the ATA Bill Graves saying, “We are gratified that, at the conclusion of many years of litigation, the highest court in the land unanimously agreed with ATA on these rules.”
While other parts of the L.A. Port’s Clean Truck Program rules have not yet been figured out by the Supreme Court, the ATA and trucking companies on the west coast can take some time to celebrate their victory.
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by Rennett Stowe
