Journal of Commerce Online
23 April 2008
BY BILL MONGELLUZZO/THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE ONLINE
SAN FRANCISCO—Marine terminal operators could reduce truck queuing at their gates and improve driver turn times within their facilities simply by sharing more information with motor carriers, according to logistics practitioners.
"The information is there. It should be shared," said James Gramas, equipment control manager at Maersk Distribution Services. Gramas addressed the Navis World conference Monday in San Francisco.
Container terminals collect a wealth of information on containerized shipments. The flow of information is increasing as truckers and other vendors transmit data via radio frequency identification devices.
In Los Angeles-Long Beach, for example, terminal operators funded a program to provide RFID tags for every truck that calls frequently in the harbor.
Deconsolidators and motor carriers could better plan their truck dispatches to the harbor if they were informed ahead of time of terminal operational conditions such as when containers will be available for pickup and if there is congestion at the terminal gate, said Charles Kerr, senior operations manager at the Performance Team.
Kerr recommended that marine terminals post this information on port community systems such as eModal and Voyager Track. These systems allow truckers and warehouse operators to electronically access conditions at multiple terminals so they don’t have to navigate from one terminal Web site to another.
Terminals, in fact, should go beyond basic shipment availability status and post on community portals the wait times at their gates, Kerr suggested. Some terminal operators with lengthy wait times will resist this public airing of their poor performance, but the industry should do what is best for the entire port community, Kerr said.
If terminal operators and ocean carriers do not improve trucker turn times at their facilities soon, they could experience a shortage of trucking capacity in the harbor.
When the federal security mandate known as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential becomes mandatory this fall, truck capacity at a number of ports will be affected, said John Amato, vice president of customer service at California Cartage Co.
To qualify for a TWIC card, drivers must pass a background check that includes proof of legal residency. A study by a Southern California economist indicated that more than 20 percent of the drivers in Los Angeles-Long Beach will not apply for a TWIC card because they cannot prove legal residency in the U.S.
Productivity enhancements at marine terminals will help to stem an exodus of harbor truckers that has already started due to rising fuel prices and anticipation of TWIC requirements. Most harbor truck drivers are paid on a per-trip basis, and lengthy delays at marine terminals reduce the number of trips they can make.
Kerr, who used to operate an off-dock deconsolidation center, said he was able to reduce trucker turn times to 16 minutes from one hour through information sharing and operational improvements. Similar gains could occur at marine terminals, he said.
