Rucker Named President of Tideworks
Tideworks Technology Inc., a full-service provider of terminal management and planning software solutions, announced that Thomas J. “T.J.” Rucker will assume the role of president effective September 1, 2017, succeeding retiring president Michael Schwank, who led the company for 19 years. Rucker will relocate to Seattle in August to ensure a smooth transition into the role. Rucker is currently vice president of operations at Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT), one of the largest container terminals in Latin America, where he is responsible for managing liner customer relationships, strategic planning and ensuring terminal productivity and KPI performance.
‘Mega-ship’ the Largest to Ever Transit the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal welcomed the largest capacity vessel to-date to transit the Expanded Locks—Hapag-Lloyd's Valparaiso Express, a 10,589 TEU Neopanamax containership built specifically to take advantage of the greater capacity offered by the Expanded Panama Canal. Today’s passage ushers in a new era of mega-ships that are now able to transit the Expanded Canal since it’s inauguration on June 26 of this year. The new locks, which are 70 feet wider and 18 feet deeper than those in the original Canal, are able to accommodate Neopanamax vessels carrying up to 13,000 to 14,000 TEUS.
APL Introduces New Service in the Americas
APL introduced a new weekly service aimed to enhance its network coverage in the Americas. The new America Caribbean Express (ACX) service, which links Central America and U.S. East Coast, is operated through a vessel sharing agreement with SeaLand. Serviced by three vessels of 1,700 TEU nominal capacity each, the ACX service will provide direct service with fixed day arrivals from Colombia and Panama to the U.S. East Coast. “The introduction of the ACX expands APL’s suite of services to our customers,” said Efraín Osorio, Head of Latin America Trade in APL. The ACX services will provide APL’s customers with connections to the carrier’s feeder network via the Manzanillo International Terminal hub in Panama, as well as integrated intermodal connections to inland U.S.
Panama Canal Expansion: Lock Valves Arrive
The Panama Canal Expansion Program passes a milestone with the arrival of first shipment of valves for the third set of locks. The valves were built in South Korea by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries. “This marks a new milestone for the Panama Canal expansion works, particularly for the construction of the new locks,” Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano said. Arriving on board the vesel BCC England, the first shipment includes 47 valves that are part of the Post-Panamax locks electromechanical system that will regulate water flow between the chambers…
ABB to Enable Remote Control of Ship-to-Shore Cranes
ABB, a power and automation technology group, recently won contracts from two major container terminal operators, APM Terminals and Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) to provide automation systems for their new ship-to-shore cranes. ABB’s delivery will enable the cranes to be operated remotely, without a driver on board, for improved overall efficiency. The two new terminals that will open in 2014 in Rotterdam at Maasvlakte 2 will be the first in Europe to use remote control of ship-to-shore (STS) cranes…
SMITCO to Deploy Terminal Management
Tideworks Technology and Santa Marta International Terminal Company (SMITCO), a joint venture between Manzanillo International Terminal-Panama, S.A. (MIT) and Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta (SPSM), announced the finalization of an agreement for the implementation of Tideworks’ Mainsail Terminal Management System. SMITCO has already been utilizing Tideworks’ container planning software, Spinnaker Planning Management System, to graphically plan yard and vessel activities and increase operational efficiencies. With the addition of Mainsail, the joint venture operator will now have the ability to leverage the full capabilities of Tideworks’ TOS (terminal operating system) to manage inventory…
Outlook for All-Water Services to be Discussed at Conference
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Panama Container Traffic on the Rise
Container traffic handled by Panama ports rose 7.2 percent in 2000 to 1,359,640 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) said on Thursday. During 2000, cargo tonnage handled by Panamanian ports rose 7.0 percent over the year ago period to 20.65 million ton, provisional figures compiled by the AMP showed. Growth was led by the Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT), a container port on the Atlantic coast approaches to the Panama Canal, which shifted 1.01 million TEUs to note a hefty 17.4 percent rise on 1999. The port, a joint venture by Stevedoring Services America and local partners, completed phase three of a $300 million expansion program last year to extend the facility's waterfront and storage capacity.
