Port of Oakland night gates will expand to speed up cargo flow
Another Port of Oakland marine terminal operator said today that it’s opening night gates to accelerate containerized cargo flow. TraPac, Oakland’s second-largest terminal, plans to add a second shift for harbor truckers beginning Oct. 15, the company said in its press release.
The move enables thousands of drivers to pick up or drop off Oakland containerized cargo from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., Monday-through-Thursday. That would give freight haulers access to the terminal outside busier daytime hours. Port officials said night operations should accelerate cargo flow while reducing truck queues that sometimes build outside terminal gates.
TraPac becomes the second major marine terminal in Oakland to open at night for harbor truckers. Oakland International Container Terminal, the Port’s largest terminal, introduced night gates at the Port two years ago. Together the terminals process about 80 percent of all containerized cargo in Oakland.
The Port said night operations would provide benefits across the supply chain, including:
Faster cargo delivery to customers;
Less downtime for drivers; and
An end to marine terminal congestion.
TraPac said harbor drivers would be allowed to perform the range of cargo transactions at night. Those including picking up import containers or dropping off exports.
The terminal said it will assess a $30 fee on all loaded containers moving in or out of TraPac beginning October 29. The fee will cover night gate costs, principally for additional labor, the terminal explained.
TraPac is in the midst of a two-year project to double the size of its Oakland operations. The terminal expects to conclude construction by year-end.
About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. The Port's 5-year strategic plan - Growth with Care - pairs business expansion with community benefits, envisioning more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States.
