Starting April 1, 2013, radio-frequency identification
(RFID) tags will be required on all drayage operating within the Port of
Seattle. As of next month, trucks must have an RFID tag to gain access to terminals
5, 18, 30 and 46.
Seattle joins Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland as West
Coast ports that require the tags, which are used to increase both security and
efficiency.
The tags, which are required only for trucks hauling containers,
take the place of the port’s Green Gateway stickers, which expire at the end of
March. The RFID tags, which are being issued under the port’s Clean Trucks
Program, will allow the monitoring of trucks’ whereabouts at any time within
the port’s confines.
Truck owners needing to register vehicles for tags can buy
them online with a credit or debit card at www.eModal.com. The tags cost $95 each, but those bought
between Sept. 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013 are eligible for reimbursement.
According to the port, tags can take about two weeks to
arrive by mail. More information is available via the port’s Clean Truck
Hotline: (206) 787-6888, or at http://www.portseattle.org/Cargo/SeaCargo/Pages/RFID.aspx.
