Port of Oakland tells shippers to expect brighter futureWith the arrival of three new container cranes from Shanghai last week, the port’s leadership is anticipating increased cargo throughput. OAKLAND—With the arrival of three new container cranes from Shanghai last week, the Port of Oakland’s leadership is anticipating increased cargo throughput.
According to Omar Benjamin, the port’s executive director, Oakland had a 30 percent increase in its maritime cargo imports and an 11 percent increase in outbound cargo exports compared to the same time a year ago.
“There are glimmers of economic recovery on the horizon,” he said, “and people are beginning to feel the negative news of the past several months beginning to thaw and give way to better days.”
In a letter to shippers, Benjamin also noted that Union Pacific Railroad opened its Donner Pass route located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to domestic double-stack inter modal container freight traffic not long ago. This is designed to move cargo over a shorter, faster and more efficient route from the Port of Oakland to the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, The City of Oakland and developer AMB/CCG are working with the port to transform the former Oakland Army Base into a strategic, trade and industry center which will boost economic recovery and bring more local jobs, said Benjamin.
In a grass roots effort to attract new business, the Port of Oakland is also in the process of updating its strategic plan to chart a course for the next 5 years.
“This planning process includes the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners, port staff, and our customer and community stakeholders,” said Benjamin.
As reported in LM, Oakland also joined the five other major West Coast ports, together with Union Pacific and BNSF Railway to create the U.S. West Coast Collaboration. This group, while continuing to actively compete with each other for business, will collectively market the advantages of the Pacific Rim.
source :www.logisticsmgmt.com