Appointment Systems News

The members of the West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA)—the 12 marine terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—have agreed to add common business rules for the appointment systems that will become part of the OffPeak program later this year. Subject to regulatory approval, the revised OffPeak program, which is administered by PierPass, is expected to begin in August. The terminals agreed to add the common business rules—operational procedures that all terminals will follow—in response to requests from trucking companies and other stakeholders. The new common business rules include an appointment window—the time span between the earliest and latest times a truck can arrive for an appointment, including grace periods—of two hours for all appointments.

Danish shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk's is betting on winning new customers for its port division by becoming a one-stop shop that can transport goods from factory to retailers' shelves. The move comes as Maersk, the world's biggest container shipper, is entering uncharted territory following its sale last year of most of its energy businesses. This marked a major shift of focus for the group towards transport and logistics. Last month, Maersk said it aimed to expand its port and transport services…

The explosive growth of international boxships is challenging not only the physical infrastructure of North American ports, but also the very nature of the existing supply chains that they impact. The recent dialogue on container shipping has been all about so-called “mega-ships;” those vessels that with larger capacity than those that are already in service at any point in time. In the container trades, as in tanker and drybulk arenas, ocean-going vessels are one link, albeit an important component, within broader supply chains.

Aggressively deploying zero and near-zero emission trucks and cargo-handling equipment and expanding programs that reduce ship emissions are among the core strategies the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are proposing for the next version of San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). Proposals also focus on freight infrastructure investment, innovation and technology to improve supply chain efficiency, comprehensive energy planning, and increased advocacy for stricter emissions standards and government incentives to help pay for projects that advance testing and commercialization of zero and near-zero emission vehicles. The updated CAAP provides one of California’s first opportunities to implement the vision laid out in the State’s Sustainable Freight Action Plan.

As a result of the Port of Long Beach’s congestion relief efforts, two truck chassis owners, DCLI and TRAC, are adding over 3,000 chassis to their local fleet over the next few weeks to match supply and demand. "We need to increase the utilization of the more than 100,000 chassis in the San Pedro Bay port complex,” said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners Vice President Rich Dines. “Mega container ships with 10,000-plus total moves per call have added pressure on our chassis pools and far too many chassis sit idle on a daily basis. Dines is chairing a key Board subcommittee charged with improving Port efficiency. In addition to chassis-related issues…