Montreal’s extended gate hours have improved fluidity since their introduction in September. Now, amid rising volume and construction, among other factors, port officials would like to see the off-hours cargo pickup continue to trend higher to further decease congestion.

Maersk Line will stop at the port of Montreal only, and no longer the port of Halifax, on its route linking Canada to Europe, to speed up transit times.

In the midst of a volume uptrend, Montreal is the latest North American port to try extending its terminal gate hours to improve cargo fluidity in and out of the terminal, and to place a charge on containers to pay for it.

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 that view Montreal as a quick and direct way to move cargo in and out of Canada, and perhaps connect to the United States, can rest easier regarding their assessment; a pilot program that extended gates by 4.5 hours appears to have diminished congestion inside the port.

Canada's strong economic fundamentals, adequate transport infrastructure, large population close to key ports, and Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement implementation, among other factors, point to a strong trade performance in the immediate years ahead.

Shippers concerned that rising cargo volumes at the Port of Montreal will increase rail dwell times may have their fears allayed by a Canadian Government investment designed to improve rail efficiency and make the port more competitive.

Shippers that send cargo through Montreal because there were fewer delays than at the Port of New York and New Jersey and other ports are finding that the Canadian port’s growth is helping trigger greater congestion.

The delays at the Port of Prince Rupert, and to a lesser degree, Port Metro Vancover, raise a compelling question: can Canadian marine terminals and railroads handle the growing volumes efficiently, especially during peak periods, with reliabilty?

The need for better visibility to make smarter decisions, along with better coordinating of train switching and traffic flows on local roads, comes as North American port volume rises.

“With the big ships now, speed and flexibility are as important as reliability of service,” Gary Fast, associate vice president of international transportation at Canadian Tire, told the JOC Canada Trade Forum in Toronto.