The completion of a centralized scheduling system at the Port of Vancouver will provide marine terminals with at least four days of advance notice of container ship arrivals, allowing for better labor and equipment planning to mitigate import surges.
The system, launched two years ago by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, helps coordinate the five different types of vessels, ranging from bulk to cruise ships, that call on some 29 marine terminals in three different districts. The port also presents unique navigational challenges, from confined waters to changing river flow conditions, said Capt. Gord Cooper, chair of the Fraser River Pilots Committee.
Through the centralized scheduling system, the nearly 450 port stakeholders now have a “port-wide view” of vessel arrivals, said Sean Baxter, the port’s harbor master and director of marine operations. Similar to other North American West Coast ports, Vancouver experiences seasonal container cargo surges tied to the pre-Lunar New Year and holiday shipping seasons.
Baxter said the centralized scheduling system will allow vessel operators to optimize vessel speeds when moving to berth or anchorage, terminal operators will have greater visibility to vessel arrivals and Canadian National Railway (CN) will be better able to handle CN trains run over the Second Narrows Rail Bridge, which must be raised regularly to allow vessels to pass underneath.
“This helps us to meet the moment,” he said.
Source: JOC