A federal judge has temporarily blocked a ban on owner-operators at the Port of Los Angeles, granting an injunction sought by American Trucking Associations.

Port of Los Angeles staff members are recommending that harbor commissioners push back until the end of 2011 the first phase of the port’s clean trucks program requiring that employee-only drivers move drayage trucks.

Container pick-up turn times for drayage operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are improving due to additional gate openings, increased staff and flex lunch hour shifts, motor carriers and terminal operators said Monday. 

The Port of Los Angeles said it would delay enforcement of a ban on independent drayage operators despite a federal judge’s ruling upholding the legality of that ban as part of the port’s controversial clean-trucks plan.

The introduction of a new bill aimed at giving ports more authority to enact environmental regulations is expanding the battle over the Port of Los Angeles’ controversial employee-only clean trucks plan from the courts to Congress.

Officials with the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach said shipping terminals were open and operating this week during negotiations between terminal operators and a striking shipping clerks union.

Harbor commissioners at the Port of Los Angeles late last week approved a proposal that will allow drayage operators — who were provided millions of dollars for the purchase of newer, cleaner trucks — to cut in half a requirement that they make a minimum of 300 annual trips to the port.