The TraPac container terminal in the Port of Oakland will begin operating with extended hours starting Oct. 15.
TraPac is the second-largest terminal in the port, and the port said the move will enable thousands of drivers to pick up or drop off Oakland containerized cargo at night — from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Thursday — as well as during the day.
Port officials said night operations should accelerate cargo flow while reducing truck queues that sometimes build outside terminal gates.
“A number of our stakeholders have asked for these improvements. Not
only will we provide extended hours for the drayage community, we are
also determined to provide greater service to the overall supply chain,”
said Brian Bauer, vice president of operations at TraPac Oakland.
In order to provide the extended hours and improved truck service,
TraPac will introduce an extended gate fee. The fee will begin Oct. 29, after the initial two weeks of extended operations. The
fee is $30 for all import and export truck transactions (not
empty containers) and will be payable by the importer or exporter.
TraPac said the changes are intended to increase
productivity within a driver’s operating hours.
By matching the
operating hours of the ports largest terminal, SSA Marine’s Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT), which started night operations two years ago, TraPac said it is providing the same opportunity for trucking companies and warehouses
to enhance their operations.
“This is a big step forward for TraPac and the port’s customers,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “We want cargo to move as quickly as possible through the port and we’re grateful that our terminal operators share that conviction.”
Combined, TraPac and OICT process about 80 percent of all containerized cargo in Oakland.