Retailer J.C. Penney will apply brakes to diesel trucks: company will switch to cleaner vehicles at ports.

DEPARTMENT store chain J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has become the latest corporation to commit to convert its local fleet of diesel tracks to cleaner burning models.

The company joined the Coalition for Responsible Transportation, an industry group that is swapping hundreds of heavily-polluting trucks for cleaner rigs at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.

J.C. Penney's transportation provider, Compton-based PDS Trucking Inc., also joined the group, which includes Target Corp., Nike Inc. and several local trucking companies.

"Our commitment to join with others in the industry and invest in the conversion to green trucks reflects our strong belief that the private-sector initiatives supported by CRT provide the most sustainable long-term solution for reducing port-related truck emissions," said Rick Schart, vice president and director of transportation for J.C. Penney, in a statement.

Most of J.C. Penney's retail merchandise enters the country through the local ports.

Under the terms of the agreement, the company will convert its trucks by 2010, two years earlier than the deadline the ports recently approved for their own clean air program.

By 2012, the ports will restrict all diesel trucks that do not meet 2007 emission standards.