Trucks Face Long Waits at Ports
Posted : 11/22/12 2:04 AM
The rapid expansion in global trade has led to a mushrooming of truck traffic at many ports around the world. This has made truck congestion a choke point for continued growth in these places. Too often this choking threatens to become literal, as thousands of idling trucks add an enormous volume of pollutants to the air. Nearby residents and port workers risk respiratory damage from all the diesel particulates they breathe in. Cities such as Los Angeles that have made huge efforts to reduce emissions from automobiles and stationary sources find that their efforts are being thwarted by growing levels of exhausts from waiting trucks.
To ease congestion, some ports are switching to round the clock operations. Currently, most ports only operate during a day shift. The hours are usually from 7 a.m. To 5 p.m. While keeping terminals and other facilities open for operation 24 hours a day may cut down on congestion, it may also act as an irritant to local residents who may not appreciate the noise generated by trucks rolling along through the night. Truck drivers are generally supportive of expanded hours, since they often line up to wait for hours for the port to open for business.
Shipping companies have mixed views on expanding hours. They worry that the volume of traffic may not warrant staying open so long. Their position on truck congestion is that the problem lies in inadequate infrastructure in the ports themselves and in adjacent regions. Greater highway capacity and larger access roads leading to the ports are their preferred methods for dealing with the problem.
The growing size of ships and number of containers helps fuel the problem. Ships currently in use can carry over ten thousand containers, which will translate to ten thousand trucks needed to unload them. The logistics required to handle these numbers are complex. Sophisticated systems are needed to make sure it runs effectively. Port management has become an industry unto itself of critical importance. The best run ports attract the most business.
In order to reduce the wait times trucks must endure at ports, all parties involved must work together. Ship lines and truck companies must set realistic goals for what hours they are willing to work. Regional authorities must make sure that traffic flows smoothly. This can require innovative techniques in managing traffic, including designating truck-only lanes on highways, or even construction of special thoroughfares intended solely for truck use.