The Port of Oakland recently introduced two smart phone applications that could transform containerized cargo handling at seaports. The apps provide a highly anticipated tech-based calculation of harbor trucker turn times-an elusive industry metric.
By Patrick Burnson
Published: May, 2016
The Port of Oakland recently introduced two smart phone applications that could transform containerized cargo handling at seaports. The apps provide a highly anticipated tech-based calculation of harbor trucker turn times—an elusive industry metric.
“We know of no other port measuring trucker transaction times with this precision,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle. “This takes the myth out of measurement and gives us a window into port performance.”
The apps, DrayQ and DrayLink, employ Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS technology to tell drivers how long they’ll wait to enter marine terminal gates and how long their transactions will take. The apps give shippers a glimpse of the location and productivity of the drivers they hire.
The port said it commissioned the apps to meet demand for accurate measurement of cargo pickup and delivery times, known as turn times in industry vernacular. The port retained Reston, Va.-based Leidos to license, deploy and maintain the solution. It worked with the company to expand a wireless network throughout the port to more closely connect the drayage truck community with marine terminal operators, cargo owners and other stakeholders.
The port previewed both applications two months ago for drivers in its trucker work group and stakeholders in its efficiency task force. The port said its new apps can transform container shipping in a number of ways:
Drivers and cargo owners can receive up-to-the minute information on turn times. They can now plan transactions around peak periods of marine terminal activity.
Ports can get uncontestable data on how quickly terminals are moving containers for cargo owners. If greater efficiency is needed, the data will prove it.
Shippers and trucking firms will be able to monitor driver location and progress in real time to improve dispatching.
“Drivers understand that when it comes to moving shipping containers, it pays to know your wait time,” said Taso Zografos of Leidos. “DrayQ is the first smartphone application to provide real-time estimates of street wait times, terminal turn time calculated from entry to exit, combined aggregate wait time and even the trend of that wait time.”
DrayQ users will be able to log in to the app to view marine terminal wait times on their phones. DrayLink will connect harbor truckers with shippers and the companies that dispatch drivers. DrayLink will also provide validated wait-time reports for truckers who register to use the service. It will also verify driver compliance with regulations required for access to terminals.
Zografos said the smart phone apps will be available via the Apple and Google app stores by May. He added that Bluetooth and WiFi technology supporting the apps has already been installed and tested.
Oakland Export Numbers Looking Up
The introduction of this new technology coincided with news that an export rally may be underway in Oakland.
According to port spokespeople, 2016 containerized export volume has been surging, which reinforces Oakland’s crucial role in getting goods to Asia. Port officials also attributed the gains to a recent decline in the strength of the dollar. U.S. goods are more affordable overseas when the dollar’s value declines. Export volume declined for most of 2015.
“It’s too soon to declare this a trend, but we’re encouraged by recent signs,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “Exports are a critical component of our business.”
Oakland exports are closely watched. They comprise more than half the port’s projected total 2016 cargo volume, while other West Coast ports depend more on imports. Oakland is the leading gateway for Central Valley growers exporting to China, Japan and other Asian destinations.
Oakland Shippers Announce Issues With New Weight Rule
Meanwhile, new details contained in the pending safety of life at sea (SOLAS) container weight rule is being met with resistance by Port of Oakland terminal operators. The guidelines, which are amendments to SOLAS, require shippers to notify ocean carriers of the weight of containers before they are loaded onto a ship. Verified Gross Mass (VGM) advocates say the rule is designed to address mis-declared container weights that have contributed to vessel accidents worldwide.
The operators, however, maintain that millions of dollars in additional annual costs will be be added to meet SOLAS, while others say they will simply cut back on shipments. Agriculture exporters say that alternative approaches should be explored to protect them from added liability for low-value exports.
The Oakland MTO Agreement, covering the three marine terminals serving the port, announced that all member terminals are incapable of providing VGM weighing services that adhere to the SOLAS guidelines scheduled to go into effect on July 1.
The collective announcement by the member terminals was based on the lack of terminal infrastructure necessary to obtain VGMs using the methods specified within the guideline amendments. Individual member terminals will establish and communicate their own policies for handling VGM procedures at their terminals.
Patrick Burnson is the past president and current board member of the Pacific Transportation Association, based in San Francisco. www.pacifictrans.org
