OAKLAND, Calif. — Bay Area Kenworth was recently the site of a special event which focused on the introduction of Kenworth T800 liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks into operation at the Port of Oakland.
 
During the event, the Port of Oakland and its private partner, CleanAir TransPort, announced the “Early Action for a Healthy Community” initiative to help clean the air in the San Francisco Bay Area. As part of the initiative, nine Kenworth T800 LNG trucks purchased by CleanAir TransPort from Bay Area Kenworth will be deployed over the coming months at the Port of Oakland to haul containers to and from the port.

The Port of Oakland has committed to reducing the health risk from diesel particulate matter from seaport sources by 85% by the year 2020. The Port oversees the Oakland seaport, the third busiest container port on the West Coast, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront.

“This has been a true collaborative effort among the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Port of Oakland, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Caltrans, Oakland business leaders and Kenworth Truck Company,” said Harry Mamizuka, Bay Area Kenworth dealer principal. “It is remarkable what we can do, when we focus our mutual resources to come up with creative solutions to address community concerns.”

A typical Class 8 LNG truck may reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 33% and 20%, respectively, compared to a diesel-fueled truck, according to Kenworth. LNG fuel typically costs up to $1 per gallon less than the diesel equivalent fuel.

As part of its efforts to help enhance fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, Bay Area Kenworth also recently hosted a “Green Day” attended by over 100 customers from local fleets, municipalities and food distributors. The event featured a T800 LNG truck, Kenworth medium-duty diesel-electric hybrid, and Kenworth Clean Power no-idle system.