Worker Profile: Narciso Roman Perez

Originally from Mexico, for the past 20 years Narciso Roman Perez has called Long Beach "home." He met his wife there and his three sons were born there. Yet, even after two decades working as a truck driver, Narciso still finds himself struggling to pay the $950 rent for his family's small apartment and cover other basic necessities. "I'm late paying rent almost every month," he says. "I end up paying $50 in late fees, so it's actually $1,000 every month."

The money Narciso earns is also not enough to pay for much needed health insurance for himself or for his children. "My second son, Braulio, has asthma," says Narciso. "One time, we took him to the emergency room. We were there for 30 minutes and all they did was give him oxygen and injections. I ended up paying $400 out of my own pocket for that visit. 

Narciso has also been dealing with an injured knee for the past few years. He says that the pain in his knee comes from spending countless hours sitting in his truck waiting in line to pick up a container.

“Most of my paycheck goes to paying for my truck’s overhead expenses, so I can’t afford health insurance or enough food for my family,” he says. “Braulio keeps me and my wife awake at night. We worry about when the next asthma attack will be.”

Like many of his fellow port truck drivers, Narciso believes that there is light at the end of the tunnel with the Ports’ Clean Truck Program.

“I’ve been waiting to be an employee for many years and now more than ever it’s important so my son can breathe cleaner air,” he says. “I wouldn’t have to worry about more overhead expenses if the companies are the ones that maintain them. It’s the responsible thing to do.”