Terminal Operations: Oakland, Philadelphia

Port of Oakland Survey: Night Gates Best Way to Spread Workload

Weeknight shifts are the best way to spread the workload at the Port of Oakland. That is the view of shippers and those who move their cargo, according to a newly released port survey.

Oakland International Container Terminal, the port’s largest marine terminal, responded by initiating Monday-through-Thursday night gates for harbor truckers. The second shift is giving drivers more opportunity to move containerized cargo outside the hectic 8-to-5 hours. It is also easing daytime crowding at terminal gates.

"The terminal has extended the workday to improve cargo flow," said Port Executive Director Chris Lytle. "It’s what our customers and their motor carriers have needed for quite some time."

The Port’s Efficiency Task Force, a group of 35 port users, surveyed 1,271 port customers in June. The survey found that:

• 78 percent of those responding wanted night gates – not Saturdays – to extend hours for cargo pick-up and delivery
• 62 percent are already using night gates
• Users view nights as a way to beat the crowds on weekdays.

"It’s essential to get the user’s view of port performance," said Lanie Moules of Superior Foods, a port customer and head of the Task Force workgroup on extended gate hours. "Without it, we risk making changes that aren’t helpful."

The port asked customers about charging a $30-per-container fee to finance extended hours. Forty-seven percent of the respondents said a fee of $30 or less was reasonable. Twenty-nine percent said they wanted no fee. Those supporting a fee said that, in return, terminal transaction times should be no longer than one hour.

Oakland began experimenting with extended hours three months ago in response to concerns about crowding and cargo delays. By going to a second shift, long lines of trucks waiting at daytime gates have dwindled, the port said. However, dayside transaction times inside terminals remain high, according to the port.

That problem is expected to improve this month, thanks to introduction of an appointment system for drivers. Additionally, night operations now include import pick-ups, which the port believes, should lure more drivers to the second shift. Customers told the port that import pick-ups are essential to the success of a second shift.

The port financed the start-up of night gates with a $1.5 million subsidy. When this fund expired, the port’s governing board approved a new $1.7 million subsidy, which includes a $200,000 increase to ensure extended gate operation continuity.

Philadelphia: Super Post-Panamax Container Cranes Ordered for Packer Avenue Marine Terminal

Holt Logistics Corp. and Greenwich Terminals, LLC, are purchasing two new Super Post-Panamax container cranes for installation at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal (PAMT) in the Port of Philadelphia.

The cranes are being manufactured in China and are expected to be delivered and operational within 18 months. They will be capable of handling vessels approximately 22 containers wide.

The Holt group operates the Packer Avenue terminal under a lease agreement with the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA)

"These cranes will give Packer Avenue the ability to service the largest ships in the world," said Thomas J. Holt, Jr., president of Astro Holdings, LLC, leaseholder of PAMT. "With the recent opening of the Panama Canal expansion, we are excited to continue investing in our port facilities to accommodate the expected increase in volume for many East Coast ports. We are also thankful for the continued public-private partnership with the Commonwealth and Philadelphia Regional Port Authority that has helped to drive growth at our facilities, and look forward to a productive relationship for years to come."

The cranes are the latest in a series of enhancements aimed at modernizing PAMT. Recent investments include a multi-million-dollar entrance/exit gate project, technology infrastructure improvements, and new reach stackers and reefer plugs. Holt Logistics and PRPA are jointly exploring a densification project that would significantly increase capacity on the terminal, with plans for additional capital expenditures totaling more than $100 million.

"The commitment demonstrated by the purchase of these two new cranes, coupled with the completion of the Delaware River Deepening Project, will position the Port of Philadelphia, and particularly the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, as a burgeoning destination for shippers in the Post-Panamax global economy," said PRPA Chairman Jerry Sweeney. "We applaud Holt Logistics and Greenwich Terminals for this latest example of how private investment and public sector partnership work best together with the result being increased and sustainable opportunities for the many workers who support these efforts."