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Trucks Face Long Waits at Ports

The rapid expansion in global trade has led to a mushrooming of truck traffic at many ports around the world. This has made truck congestion a choke point for continued growth in these places. Too often this choking threatens to become literal, as thousands of idling trucks add an enormous volume of pollutants to the air. Nearby residents and port workers risk respiratory damage from all the diesel particulates they breathe in. Cities such as Los Angeles that have made huge efforts to reduce emissions from automobiles and stationary sources find that their efforts are being thwarted by growing levels of exhausts from waiting trucks. To ease congestion, some ports are switching to round the clock operations. Currently, most ports only operate during a day shift. The hours are usually from 7 a.m. To 5 p.m. While keeping terminals and other facilities open for operation 24 hours a day may cut down on congestion, it may also act as an irritant to local residents who may not appreciate the noise generated by trucks rolling along through the night. Truck drivers are generally supportive of expanded hours, since they often line up to wait for hours for the port to open…
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