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Satellite Technology Helps Oakland Port Pollution

Thursday, June 28, 2007

WEST OAKLAND, Calif., Jun. 28, 2007 (KGO) (KGO) -- There have been solutions before; solutions to the long standing problem of truck pollution from the port of Oakland wafting into nearby neighborhoods. Now the ideas are a byproduct of an effort to improve port efficiency.

Hundreds of trucks spend a lot of time waiting to be loaded and unloaded at the port of Oakland. They're often belching diesel fumes as they idle. Port officials say that can be fixed without compromising commerce at the fourth busiest port in the nation.

Harold Jones, Port Of Oakland: "We're committed to keeping the flow of cargo moving in Oakland while at the same time we want to reduce congestion, reduce the impacts, reduce emissions, there are so many responsibilities that all of us have to share, and this is just another step in that direction."

The port in partnership with wireless companies, and the bay area world trade center invested more than half a million dollars on the system. it also paid for mobile phones equipped with global positioning satellite technology that were given to participating truck companies to monitor their vehicles.

Jeff Caldwell manages a fleet of about 40-trucks. He can track their movements on a computer, and send messages to stay away from the port when there's potential for congestion. He says once truckers get over being watched, they realize the benefits.

Jeff Caldwell, Yolo Enterprises: "Well it protects their money. That's the bottom line with them. It protects them, their safety and their money."

Some drivers say it's already improving their efficiency.

Ronald Orellana, Truck Driver: "Well the waiting time is less you know. It used to be hours sometimes, and now it getting like into like half an hour things like that, so it's not bad at all."

Relieving congestion and reducing idling time is also expected to reduce pollution in west Oakland neighborhoods.

Ray King-Port of Oakland: "Anything that we can do to reduce the amount of time that a truck idles in the Port area reduces air emissions."

Right now only about ten percent of the trucks that visit the port use the system. Port officials expect nearly all of them to be on board within a year, but they haven't yet decided whether to make it mandatory.

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