b'10American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comPORT EQUIPMENT &The challenge to electrify California-Mexico truck trafficTECHNOLOGY 2024 California Air Resources Boards (CARB) Advance Clean Fleets regulation would require motor car-riers with 50 or more big rigs to switch over to electricbattery-poweredzero-emissiontrucks. But how to accomplish this on California-Mexico cross border trade is a conundrum. By Chris Barnett, AJOTA federal lawsuit filed bytotheseproblemsoperators the California Trucking Asso- need to deal often with lighter ciation(CTA)toblocktheloadstooffsetthetrucks states mandate to have elec- heavierbatteries(requiring trictrucksontheroadsbymore trucks and truck transits 2045coulddelayenforce- to carry the same amount of ment of the ruling but it is notfreight) coupled with the loss Equipment Depot: 85 years oflikely to break the bottleneckof time on the road between at the Tijuana Baja Californiabatterycharges.Finally, borderwhereasmany7,000trucksonthecrossborder material handling breakthroughsto 9,000 gasoline and dieseltradebetweenMexicoand powered18-wheelersdailyCaliforniaoftensitidling and still ahead of the curve can idle up to six hours wait- for hours in long lines which ing to enter the US.compoundspowerdrains The California Air Resourceswhether it is diesel or a bat-By Chris Barnett, AJOT Boards(CARB)Advancetery powered vehicle.CleanFleetsregulationCurrently, Otay Mesa, a San Whether its the procurement departmentand leadership posts with the Houston-head- wouldrequiremotorcarri- Diegoneighborhoodwith at the US ports in need of material handlingquartered company for 25-years, advancing toers with 50 or more big rigsapopulationof23,031,is equipment to avoid supply chain bottleneckshead heavy duty lift trucks and port equipmentthat generate more than $50thecenterofattentionin or a warehouse manager at an ironworks com- operations nationwide. Whether its providingmillion annually operating inthe dispute over the implan-pany with tons of steel to move, both becomenew equipment, rental, parts or service, sup- the state to switch over fromtationofelectrictrucks very concerned when theyportingourcustomerpart- internalcombustionenginesbetween Californias motor hearfiveshortwords:nershipsinboththeshorttoelectricbattery-poweredcarrier industry and CARB, Sorry, we are out of units. and long term continuouslyzero-emission vehicles start- thestatesanti-emissions However, when there isdrives our daily activities. ing as early as this year.Theand clean air enforcers,amaterialhandlingdealer Larson points out thatproposal totally bans the sale with direct access to a oneEquipment Depots partner- of traditionally-fueled big rig millionsquarefootmulti- ship philosophy and nevertrucks in 2035.brand OEM manufacturingoutofstockcommitmentThe CTAs lawsuit seek-facility,thesefivewordshelped it mitigate the log- ing a preliminary and perma-become moot very quickly. jams many US ports expe- nentinjunctionagainstthe Equipment Depots com- riencedduringtheglobalCARBrulingarguesthatit mitment to be the best ser- COVIDpandemicseveralconflictswithboththelong vice organization rings trueyearsago.Wehadheart- established Federal Clean Air when significant needs areChad Larson, VP of Heavy Trucksof-the line equipment read- Act and the Federal Aviation fulfilled.Butthismantra& Port Equipment ily available to support theAdministrationAuthoriza-is embedded in the 85-year-old organization.influx of demand within the ports. tion Act of 2024.However, The material handling company touts its Per- CARB is requesting a waiver formance. Guaranteed. pledge which focusess usTainaBlef uTure from the U.S. Environmental on maximizing customers uptime with oneEquipmentDepotmonitorsandmar- Protection Agency (EPA) thatBruce Tutorof the boldest promises in the industry. ketsthemostcurrenttrendsandadvance- would nullify certain federalThe Otay Mesa land portOver the past five years, Equipment Depotmentsinmaterialhandling.Forexample,laws in California so the stateofentryisthebusiestcom-has been on a strategic growth plan, acquir- hesays,electricpoweredequipmentisntcanproceedtoenforcethemercial landport in California, ing several strategically located branches andnew,however,overthelastseveralyears,electricvehiclemandates.processingover$13.5billion expanding into several new regions to supportit has continued to grow in popularity withWe have never been deniedin exports and $37.4 billion in the heavy truck and port industry. As a one- multiple stakeholders ranging from end usersa waiver from the EPA, saysimportsinfiscal2021,says stop-shop company, it declares a goal of $1toequipmentdistributorsandultimatelytoBruceTutor,CARBsairChrisShimoda,seniorvice billion in revenues by 2025. OEMmanufacturers.Larsoncontendstheresourcessupervisorwhoispresidentoflegislativeaffairs Priortotheexpansionefforts,thecom- growing focus on environmental sustainabil- assigned to working directlyfortheCaliforniaTrucking pany caught the attention of Tokyo-based Mit- ity and carbon footprint mitigation is prompt- with the cross border com- Association(CTA).Nearly subishi Logisnext Co. Ltd., the fourth largesting Equipment Depot to boost its support andmunitytruckingcompa- one million commercial trucks material handling company in the world, andpromote electric powered vehicles includingniesinSanDiegosOtayareprocessedatthisfacil-subsequently purchased in 2019 by Mitsubishisolutions ranging from small walk-behindMesaareaandMexicanityaloneandsome566,000 Logisnext Americas Inc. palletjackstohigh-capacityforkliftsandmotorcarriersinBajaCali- California jobs are involved in container handling equipment. fornia,includingCanacar,tradewithMexico.Mexico B uildingP arTnershiPs andl oCaTions Indeed,withtheincreasingdemandfordeemed the American Truck- is the U.S. second largest sup-Equipment Depot offers the most innovativetheseproducts,hesaysthecompanyhasing Association of Mexico. plier of goods and services and and respected brands including CAT lift trucks,formedEQPower,itscustomer-directbat- the nations biggest supplier of Mitsubishi forklift trucks and Jungheinrich intra- tery division responsible for selling batteries,s oluTionsl aCking agricultural products, he adds. logistics,whileprovidingnewandusedfork- chargers,andpowermanagementservices,Wehavenosolutions(ELECTRIFYcontinued on lifts, aerial lifts, service, parts, equipment rentals,Thisdivisionwillalsoofferconsultingandat this point, says Alejandrapage 12)financing and automation solutions. design services providing a full system powerMier-y-Teran, executive direc-Interestingly,EquipmentDepot,whichsolution combing battery technology, batterytor of the Otay Mesa Chamber has grown to 50 locations in 25 states acrossattachments and integration with the compa- ofCommerce,locatedjust 3,000 miles since its launch, does not envisionnys Warehouse Solutions program. over the Mexican border and itself as simply a retailer or a one-off rentalAtthesametime,EquipmentDepotishome to large truck lines that source for, say, a forklift. We place a signifi- concentratingonproductivityandsafetytohaul freight between Califor-cant emphasis on building long term partner- drive advancements in equipment design andniaandMexico,thestates ships and continually strive to being a valuedend-useroperations.ExplainsLarson:Wenumber one trading partner. resource for all those we do business with,have actively partnered with key manufactur- The solutions sought by Chad Larson, vice president of Heavy Trucksers who include critical safety features whichtrucking company owners on and Port Equipment, told the American Jour- are desired in the marketplace. We are sup- both sides of the international nal of Transportation.plying equipment built with credible, provenborder (and elsewhere in the Wetakegreatprideinprovidingsolidcomponents that provide significant off-shelfstate)arethechallengesof on-goingsolutionsthatsupportourpartnersavailabilitythathelpsminimizedowntimebuying, financing and charg- Chris Shimoda, senior VP of goals and needs, adds Larson, who held sales(CURVEcontinued on page 12) ingelectrictrucks.Addedlegislative affairs for the CTA'