special reports

Port Productivity

Berth productivity is defined as the average number of container moves per crane per hour, while a ship is at berth.

When it comes to deploying advanced digital applications, the overall container shipping industry’s recent history has not been one of rapid identification and implementation, according to a World Economic Forum report. The report noted that this slower rate of digital adoption brings enormous risks that, if ignored, could be potentially catastrophic for even the biggest, established players in the business.

How effectively advanced digital tools are applied by the world’s ports in the future will be a topic of growing significance as those cutting-edge technologies that prove most effective at reducing costs and boosting productivity become increasingly the norm.

Asian container ports most efficient globally: World Bank, IHS Markit index

JOC Staff | May 5, 2021, 5:59 AM EDT

A new index, jointly created by the World Bank and IHS Markit, shows that Asian container ports are the most efficient as ports in various regions struggle with high levels of congestion.

US Gulf ports eyeing inland intermodal as Asian import share increases

Michael Angell, Associate Editor | Apr 20, 2021, 10:15 AM EDT

A new all-water service from Asia will boost the volume of imports flowing into the US Gulf Coast amid an ongoing boom in regional import distribution capacity.

PortsNorth American ports

Detention and demurrage charges rise as regulators circle

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor; Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor; and Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Mar 8, 2021, 8:56 AM EST

Months-long congestion and the slow return of empty containers at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and New York and New Jersey are flowing inland to key rail hubs such as Chicago and Dallas.

Marine terminals

TPM21: Increasing vaccinations will eventually ease US port congestion

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Mar 1, 2021, 4:14 PM EST

Backups at US ports will diminish gradually over several months only as COVID-19 vaccines are distributed and infection rates slow, IHS Markit’s chief economist told JOC’s virtual TPM21.

North American portsDrayage

Trans-Pacific container system slows under Asia import surge

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor, Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor and Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor | Feb 19, 2021, 8:01 AM EST

Trans-Pacific shippers are being hit with a double whammy of huge rate hikes and poor service as ports and inland supply chains struggle to handled a seemingly unending deluge of imports from Asia into North America.

Container linesNorth American ports

Container lines ordered to explain detention, demurrage assessment

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Feb 17, 2021, 3:56 PM EST

The Federal Maritime Commission will take a deep look into the detention and demurrage practices in Southern California and New York and New Jersey, requiring ocean carriers and maritime terminal operators to answer questions about their policies related to importers and exporters.

Transport, trade and regulation

Jaxport secures final dredging funds to deepen to 47 feet

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Sep 24, 2020, 1:17 PM EDT

The Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) has secured the final piece of the funding pie needed to deepen the port’s main harbor to 47 feet to Blount Island, a critical step toward handling more post-Panamax vessels in the trans-Pacific trade.

North American ports

ILWU’s anti-automation plea to California hints at contract flashpoint

Peter Tirschwell | Jul 24, 2020, 8:02 AM EDT

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union's (ILWU) letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom compounds worries that have been mounting for over a year surrounding the issue of allowing West Coast terminals to install labor-saving cargo handling equipment.

North American ports

Drayage operators in LA-LB seek to further improve turn times

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Jul 14, 2020, 4:05 PM EDT

Truck turn times in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue to improve, but truckers seek more timely information from carriers and terminals so they can further reduce visit times.

North American portsDrayage

Port call optimization a rare ‘win-win-win’ for container shipping

Peter Tirschwell | Jun 29, 2020, 8:02 AM EDT

A renewed push to reduce port stay times, driven by larger decarbonization goals, represents a rare scenario in which carriers, terminal operators, and cargo owners could all benefit.

Marine terminalsContainer lines

Rising vessel, call sizes puts pressure on port productivity

Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports | Jun 12, 2020, 2:17 PM EDT

The average capacity of container ships calling ports around the world, and the average amount of cargo exchanged per call, continued to grow in almost all regions in 2019.

Marine terminals

Chassis tensions tempered by willingness to talk

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | May 8, 2020, 4:58 PM EDT

With tensions on the rise, groups representing ocean carriers and truck companies are open to meeting to resolve their differences on chassis.

TruckloadDrayage

Ag shippers urge Trump administration to intervene on detention, demurrage

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Apr 7, 2020, 3:31 PM EDT

A coalition of 80 agricultural shippers is urging the Trump administration to get involved in the detention and demurrage debate now before the Federal Maritime Commission, saying the issue is even more important now amid supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Marine terminals

FMC seeks to avoid coronavirus-linked port gridlock

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Mar 31, 2020, 2:24 PM EDT

The Federal Maritime Commission will engage stakeholders on how it can maintain cargo fluidity in the supply chain during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in a bid to avoid disruption.

Marine terminals

Truckers urge FMC to monitor COVID-19-related fees

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Mar 6, 2020, 3:19 PM EST

Due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus, truckers are urging the Federal Maritime Commission to push for relief against detention charges and rising chassis fees.

North American ports

Container gateways evolving from cargo ports to data portals

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Mar 2, 2020, 1:07 PM EST

Initiatives aimed at turning container ports from conduits of physical freight activity into hubs for the digital information surrounding those cargo movements are underway in virtually every major global gateway.

Marine terminalsLogistics technology

Big ships, alliances limit growth of ‘free flow’ drayage on West Coast

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Feb 20, 2020, 2:52 PM EST

Terminal operators, truckers, and BCOs agree that expanding free-flow operations for the delivery of containers at West Coast ports is a win-win situation for all participants, but the complexities of pulling it off in an era of big ships and alliances is limiting its potential.

Marine terminalsDrayage

ARO 2020: US East Coast ports vie for rising cargo volumes

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor and Hugh R. Morley, Senior Editor | Dec 31, 2019, 8:02 AM EST

Ports on the US East Coast are expanding handling capacity and deepening harbors in anticipation of larger vessels and a continued shift in discretionary cargo away from the West Coast.

North American ports

ARO 2020: US West Coast ports competing through infrastructure, technology

Bill Mongelluzzo, Senior Editor | Dec 30, 2019, 9:06 AM EST

Seaports on the US West Coast aim to regain some of the market share they have lost over the past five years to the East and Gulf coasts by building infrastructure and implementing technology needed to move cargo cheaper and faster.

Marine terminalsLogistics technology

FMC’s detention-demurrage proposal divides shipping industry

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor | Oct 31, 2019, 6:15 PM EDT

Stakeholders in the container shipping industry are debating how demurrage clocks should begin, when they should be suspended, and when it’s fair and unfair to assess penalties to beneficial cargo owners (BCOs).

Transport, trade and regulation

1
2