Nike, Inc. and its affiliate, Converse, plan to switch a significant
portion of their Los Angeles area harbor drayage fleet from diesel to
new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fueled vehicles. The “green fleet”
announcement was made in conjunction with news that Nike has joined the
Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT), a group advocating for
policies and public/private partnerships that encourage the use of
cleaner truck technologies in port communities.

Nike estimates the new LNG trucks will emit 18 percent less CO2, 88
percent less NOx and 96 percent less particulate matter per mile when
compared to their diesel counterparts. Nike, utilizing a public-private
partnership model recently developed by CRT, has teamed up with
Southern Counties Express, a local trucking firm, to meet approximately
50 percent of its por-related trucking needs in the Los Angeles/Long
Beach area. Southern Counties Express will be taking delivery on more
than 70 new LNG-fueled trucks in the next two months. The trucks were
purchased in part with financial aid from the ports of Los Angeles and
Long Beach and the Air Quality Management District (AQMD).

“Nike and our affiliate companies are committed to a 30 percent
absolute CO2 reduction for inbound logistics by 2020,” said John
Isbell, Nike's Director of Corporate Logistics Services. “To do so will
take an accumulation of many efforts just like this one in which we can
take advantage of an environmentally preferred alternative.”

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the ports of entry for a
substantial portion of the footwear, apparel and equipment which Nike
and Converse import from the Asia Pacific region. While a portion of
those goods move directly via train from the ports to Nike distribution
centers in Tennessee, many are trucked directly to local distribution
centers in Inland Empire and Torrance. It is a portion of those hauls –
totaling approximately 285,000 miles a year — which will be converted
to LNG trucks.

“We think LNG trucks can be part of the approach for addressing the air
quality impacts of drayage trucking in the area around these vital
ports,” said CRT spokesperson James Jack. “We are pleased Nike has
taken a leadership role in committing to use these vehicles.”

Brian Griley, CEO of Southern Counties Express, said he expected to
take begin putting the new LNG trucks into service in mid-December.
“I'm very confident the market, especially when they see companies like
Nike leading, will respond very positively to this transportation
option.”