National Retail Systems, Inc. (NRS), a provider of global logistics services to America's retailers, announced it has submitted a letter of intent to the Port of Los Angeles committing to a pier trucking fleet that meets the standards of the Clean Truck Program.

NRS is fully prepared to comply with new trucking regulations set to take effect on October 1 under the Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program. NRS will use company owned and operated equipment that meets the port's restrictions. NRS also plans to significantly expand its environmentally sensitive pier fleet in southern California in the coming year.

Starting October 1, NRS will deploy a Clean Truck pier fleet with capacity to handle 70,000 teu imports per year. The company plans to increase the fleet to handle 300,000 teu imports per year by the end of 2009.

"Our retail customers rely on us for speed, flexibility and control at the gateway ports on both coasts," said Raymond Wisniewski, President & COO of NRS. "Southern California will continue to be a critical hub for inbound logistics, and we're prepared to maintain our leading competitive position in this market for the sake of our customers."

NRS has been well established in Southern California for 25 years as an innovator and leader in DC bypass, cross-dock and value-added services, including ticketing, pick and pack, labeling, inventory replenishment and warehouse management. The company operates an automated distribution center and additional facilities totaling 1.2 million square feet within a 10-mile range of the Port of Los Angeles. This strategic position allows NRS to integrate pier drayage directly into the retail supply chain, offering customers a turn-key distribution solution supported by NRS's real-time web based visibility system.

"Our intention to operate clean trucks in Southern California also aligns with our commitment to provide green logistics solutions to our customers," Wisniewski said.

As a partner in the Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Partnership, NRS recently received the highest possible score of 1.25 during EPA's SmartWay FLEET performance evaluation. This places NRS among the transportation industry's environmental performance leaders according to the EPA.