The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced today that up to $3.1 million is available for the replacement of older drayage trucks operating at seaports and Class I rail yards in areas of Texas designated as nonattainment under the Federal Clean Air Act.

The primary purpose of the Drayage Truck Incentive Program, or DTIP, is to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and other pollutants, including particulate matter (PM). In many cases, vehicles used for drayage are older, higher-polluting vehicles that are no longer used for longer-haul operations. The concentration of these vehicles operating at seaports and rail yards warranted the establishment of this separate program specifically for replacement of older drayage vehicles with newer, less-polluting models.

DTIP grants are offered to eligible entities that have continuously owned or leased a drayage truck for the previous two years and have operated it at one or more of the eligible seaports or Class I rail yards for at least 200 visits per year for the past two years.

A drayage truck eligible for replacement must have an engine model year 2006 or earlier and must be:
a heavy-duty drayage truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 26,000 pounds; or
a yard truck with an engine rated at more than 125 horsepower
A drayage truck eligible for purchase must have an engine model year of 2010 or later and must be:
a heavy-duty drayage truck with a GVWR over 26,000 pounds with a daycab only; or
a yard truck with an engine rated at more than 125 horsepower.

The grants may reimburse up to 80 percent of the cost to purchase the new drayage truck. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until May 29, 2015, at 5:00 p.m., or until all funding is awarded, whichever occurs earlier.

For more information call 800-919-TERP (8377), visit www.terpgrants.org, or e-mail terp@tceq.texas.gov