The Drayage Loan Program provides incentive grants and low-interest loans toward the purchase of newer model, more fuel-efficient trucks. Borrowers are expected to destroy their old vehicles.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council set up the program with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. The aim is to help Houston meet national air quality standards by reducing emissions from diesel-fueled eighteen-wheelers.

Shelley Whitworth is air quality program manager for the council. She says the focus for the past year has been on replacing trucks that load and unload cargo at the Port of Houston and local railheads.

“In addition, we recently applied for and received approval from EPA to expand this to include eighteen-wheeler trucks that are doing deliveries throughout our eight-county nonattainment region.”

For more information, contact the Drayage Loan Program.