The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on September 15, 2026 released draft guidelines for a proposed incentive that would pay qualifying zero-emission trucks $60 for each terminal visit. The Zero-Emission Truck Rewards Incentive Program, or ZE-TRIP, would run for three years and pay up to $36,000 per vehicle per year, according to the ports’ joint announcement.
At $60 a visit, a truck would reach the annual cap after 600 terminal visits.
The ports presented ZE-TRIP as a quick follow-through on measures promised in an agreement reached in August with the South Coast Air Quality Management District. On August 13 the Los Angeles Harbor Commission approved an addendum to the 2025 Cooperative Agreement with the air district and the Port of Long Beach. The Port of Los Angeles said the addendum sets up new incentives to increase zero-emission truck use and includes $20 million for regional charging and fueling infrastructure for zero-emission drayage trucks.
“We know cost is one of the biggest barriers for our trucking partners to transition to zero emissions,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said the program rewards the use of zero-emission trucks today while helping to build the market for more of them.
The program is still a proposal. A virtual public hearing was set for September 29, and written comments are open until 5 p.m. on Monday, November 2, through the Clean Air Action Plan website or by email to [email protected]. No start date was announced.
What it means for shippers
- Nothing changes on your invoice yet. These are draft guidelines. Until the ports adopt a final program, harbor pickup and delivery are priced and run as they are today.
- It targets running costs, not just purchase price. In July the Port of Los Angeles opened a separate $75 million program to help carriers buy battery-electric trucks. ZE-TRIP would add a payment tied to actual terminal visits, so the two address different parts of the cost of an electric truck.
- More zero-emission capacity is the aim. If the reward is adopted, more carriers may find zero-emission trucks workable for harbor moves. Shippers with emissions targets can ask their drayage provider what is available on their lanes.
- You can comment. The comment period is open to the public until November 2. Companies with a view on how the harbor’s truck rules affect their supply chain can put it on the record.
For now this is a development to follow, not to act on. The points that matter most, such as eligibility and timing, sit in the draft guidelines and can still change before the program is final.
Go Trucking Services handles drayage, including container pickup and delivery at LA Harbor. See our drayage service or request a quote on the home page.
Sources:
- San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan: New Incentives to Drive Zero-Emission Truck Adoption (September 15, 2026)
- Port of Los Angeles: Port of Los Angeles to Increase Clean Ship, Truck Incentives; Invest $20 Million in Charging Infrastructure (August 13, 2026)
Image: Bill Beers, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
