New TOS Live at Houston’s Barbours Cut

Barbours Cut Container Terminal (BCT), part of the Port of Houston Authority, has completed its implementation of the Navis N4 terminal operating system (TOS). The go-live is part of a larger effort underway at the Port Authority to update terminal operations to more modern hardware and software technology platforms.

The Port of Houston Authority, which operates the Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Bayport Container Terminal, handles about 67 percent of all containerized cargo in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. This represents approximately two million TEUs annually between the two terminals. The Port Authority’s container handling facilities are among the most advanced operations in the nation.

Bayport was the first terminal of the two to undergo the modernization of its terminal software, transitioning from Navis’ SPARCS Express software to N4 in 2013. As part of a master-planned redevelopment, the Port Authority redeveloped more than 20 acres at Barbours Cut for container stacking and is currently in the process of commissioning four new SPP cranes on a newly renovated 1,300-foot segment of dock.

As the Panama Canal expansion is expected to bring an influx of larger ships, BCT is working to invest in the modernization of its terminal infrastructure to prepare for the expected increase in demand in anticipation of the expansion.

In recent years, the terminals under the Port of Houston Authority have focused on the maximization of terminal productivity for all stakeholders, minimizing truck turn time and continuing to operate in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Terminal executives are improving cross-functional communication with industry partners as well as preparing for anticipated increases in volume by investing in organizational, technological and capital improvements.