Port Call

Fox Transportation aims to prosper in the drayage business with revamped fleet

Coping with the Clean Trucks programs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has been a challenge for most drayage companies. Fox Transportation, which gets about 25 percent of its business from port hauls, knew it had to comply if it wanted to continue to serve this growing sector.

For its Los Angeles-area port business, Fox Transportation invested $8 million in new Mack Pinnacle DayCabs and other models, which it leases to its independent contractors.

“The handwriting was on the wall,” says Fox President and CEO Mike Fox. “You either buy new trucks and continue doing business or you don’t.”

During its 25-year history, the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based company has always worked the port. The company uses port business as a point of entry to working directly with those shippers, mostly major retailers, on their other deliveries.

Two years ago, the Los Angeles-area ports launched the Clean Trucks initiative to update older equipment rolling at the ports to reduce diesel emissions and clean the air. Earlier this year, 2004 and older models were banned and by 2012, all vehicles have to meet 2007 federal standards.

Many of Fox’s trucks were 10-12 years old and had to be replaced. Fox began looking for a manufacturer that could meet his company’s needs for new trucks. He found Mack trucks and dealer Tec Equipment could deliver the properly equipped trucks at the price he wanted. The company borrowed $8 million to purchase 70 Mack Pinnacle daycabs, along with 10 other Class 8 trucks.