Port News

Every year, during the April to October period, Chittagong Port experiences severe congestion, which causes a vessel backup at the outer anchorage lasting from several days to more than a week.

The two port authorities believe the pool will solve two chassis problems — eliminate the chassis shortage and provide the highest-quality chassis. But they also warn beneficial cargo owners that this won’t be an overnight fix.

Despite a container consolidation partnership among marine terminals, inland shipping companies, and inland centers, barge operators say there's been little improvement in reducing barge delays during peak times — something one intermodal services provider argued was due to not having enough handling capacity during peak times.

Two proposals moving forward at the Port of New York and New Jersey to cut truck moves and curb pollution would provide alternative routes for shippers moving cargo to or from Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island by rail.

The new community, approved by the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service and the Federal Customs Service, will work to speed port operations and and decrease shipper costs.

Chassis restrictions have long been a concern of beneficial cargo owners and truckers ever since the ocean carriers exited the business.

SSA Marine’s 24-year lease extension in Oakland will open the door to increased investments in marine terminal and related infrastructure improvements that beneficial cargo owners should see reflected in more efficient operations at Oakland’s largest container terminal.

The port’s board of directors Tuesday selected Shaun Stevenson to replace Joe Rektor, who has served as interim president and CEO since October.

Shippers that send goods through the Port of Montreal, and other Canadian ports, should be wary that underlying their apparent efficiency is a union contract system that Madeleine Paquin, president and CEO of Logistec, believes could create problems due to its inflexibility and inability to create work practices in tune with a modern port.

Beneficial cargo owners in eastern Canada and the US Midwest should welcome the expansion as a step toward preventing a return of the congestion that Prince Rupert experienced last winter.

Despite concerns that the intense bursts of cargo exchange triggered by mega-ship calls could stress port resources and systems, the port has seen no notable increase in congestion, terminal-gate truck backups, or chassis access problems after the raising of the Bayonne Bridge.

Krishnapatnam Port — a fast-growing, privately operated east coast gateway — has set up Rapiscan X-ray machines and radiation portal monitors for cargo inspection — touted as the first-of-its-kind customs’ initiative at Indian ports.

While terminals have made good strides in improving technology within their four walls, they are poorly connected with the greater supply chain in which they play a critical role as the interface between the water and the land; that connectivity has to occur for the industry to advance. And with International Longshoremen's Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union labor peace, there’s now time to do it.

China Merchants’ purchase of a stake in the Port of Newcastle, Australia’s largest east coast port, would be its first in Oceania. However, the dealoccurs at a time of increased political and trade tension between the strong-performing Asian economies.

An average of 24 container ships have been waiting daily at the port’s outer anchorage, officials said.

The Port of Duisburg may be Europe shipping’s ‘best kept secret.’ But as a strategically located, multipurpose logistics site, it also may be the port most likely to benefit from the synchronized, regional economic expansion that’s propelling trade and GDP higher in Asia and Europe.

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals substantially increased its crane rates and rail volume last month — and the latter improvement is particularly noteworthy, after previous mixed train handling issues with its peers at the port.

At a June 6 meeting in which 30 port stakeholders reviewed the impact of increasing the hours from beyond the old time of 6 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., to close instead at 7 p.m., the terminals agreed to extend the project, which began May 14 and was due to end on June 22, at least through the summer.

Shippers may find that the cost of operating a new chassis could be lower than that of an ostensibly cheaper refurbished or aging chassis over the long run, once fuel consumption and maintenance are taken into account.

Keeping these projects funded and on schedule is important because beneficial cargo owners want to put their supply chains in markets ready for the future of ocean transportation — and that means being ready for mega-ships.

The improvement reportedly came after terminal and port authorities jointly worked on alternative traffic measures to clear up truck line buildups, following intense pressure from the truckers’ association and various trade groups.

Officials have taken steps to reduce container levels at the port, however with almost all trade and business operations closed for the week, cargo buildup and handling delays will occur.

A pilot project in Rotterdam will give shippers and forwarders greater visibility of containers and allow them to better plan box transport.

Inland container depots (ICDs) are responsible for stuffing and unstuffing export and import containers on their premises. If Bangladesh does not add more ICDs, cargo delays and missed shipments are likely to increase at/near Chittagong Port.

DP World said the longer truck turn times are infrastructure upgrade-based, but truckers argue they are a reoccurring problem.

Only a small percentage of Hamburg’s container traffic is transported to and from the hinterland via the network of inland waterways, something the German port wants to change.

The Port of Los Angeles’ fiscal 2018-2019 budget emphasizes the expansion of marine terminals and supporting infrastructure, as well as technology advancements to improve cargo-handling efficiency.

The Port of Charleston received $49 million for dredging this year, less than the $90 million it sought. However, beneficial cargo owners do not have to worry because South Carolina will provide a $50 million bridge loan, and the $558 million project is still on track to be complete in early 2021.

The transaction completed through RoadOne’s holding company — Bright Light Partners — will increase the company’s overall size to 1,600 drivers in 60 locations throughout the United States.

What's more, the tech and infrastructure improvements have proved to be a major catalyst in facilitating swift and cost-effective trade solutions for hinterland shippers, DP World said.

Non-vessel operating common carriers are signing exclusive deals with chassis providers, counting on these deals to offer shippers more reliable service at a lower cost. Truckers are worried that these restrictive contracts will increase chassis splits and shortages, which they consider a colossal waste of time.

Global Container Terminals Canada said its Vancouver pilot project that will test a flat-fee model during the day and night shifts is designed primarily to reduce gate congestion by reducing truck bunching during shift changes and encouraging more dual transactions.

Through 2018's first quarter, India's trade performance has substantially outpaced the global trade growth rate.

At Shanghai — the first port to handle 40 million TEU in a year (2017) — even the slightest delay quickly causes bottlenecks to build, and the spring fog 'season' this year was more severe than it has been in the past.

Via frequent outreach to truckers, beneficial cargo owners, and railroads — including a culture change — Total Terminals International has gone from having the worst truck turn times at the ports of Los Angeles-Long Beach to becoming one of the more efficient terminals.

Ocean carriers, shippers, and other business decision makers have big plans for Canada, where strong container trade growth is expected in the immediate years ahead. The key task now is to fully fund vital infrastructure improvement and expansion projects to maintain that promising momentum.

The provisional settlement came after officials from the Indian Ports Association met union leaders in Mumbai and expressed the government’s willingness to discuss and resolve workers’ charter of demands.

Chassis splits — when a trucker is diverted to a second location for a chassis — are not new, but shippers and trucking companies are concerned about how these chassis shortages and splits throw off delivery windows, hours of service, and costs.

The four vessels will more than double the transport capacity via this mode, as three vessels are already in operation, and more are expected to join the fleet in the coming months.

Stevedore service rates at Russian seaports have risen substantially since January, due to several factors, Russian transport officials and shippers confirmed. Further, stakeholders expect additional rate hikes ahead, given likely continued Russian economic and trade growth.