Page 20 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 4 - 2022

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The new improvements — which include
an appointment scheduling system, new entry and exit gates as well as 15 additional rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes that were delivered in August — join other recent upgrades at Seagirt, such as the dredging of a second 50-foot-deep berth in 2021 and the installation of four additional Neo-Panamax cranes, which became fully operational earlier this year.
“The cranes allow us to service two big vessels at the same time,” said Bayard Hogans, Vice President at PAC. “It’s good that we can get the cargo off quickly on the water side, but we need all aspects of the supply chain working together to maintain an efficient gateway. That’s where our new appointment system comes in.”
The appointment system, called Pre-Advise, was rolled out in mid-September and became mandatory for all trucking visits starting in October. To use it, truckers will need a registered license plate, a valid Standard Carrier Alpha Code and a mobile number.
For PAC, rolling out the system is important for several reasons: to increase gate throughput, to decrease truck processing time, and to gain insight into the expectations of supply chain partners, such as truckers and distribution centers.
“Right now, we don’t have visibility of their expectations,” Hogans noted. “However, if we have an exchange of information ahead of time, we can then place labor, equipment and all of our resources efficiently to match the expectations of our partners.”
In addition to providing information about workloads ahead of time, the Pre-Advise system allows PAC to better manage each day’s schedule, Hogans explained. “In order to provide an efficient level of service, the terminal needs transparency into the supply chain and a uniform flow of cargo.”
“Truckers are the lifeblood of the Port of Baltimore,” said MPA Executive Director William P. Doyle. “Our industry is currently experiencing some challenging times. Working closely with Ports America Chesapeake, we are moving forward on projects that, presently and soon, will improve efficiencies, increase capacity and reduce turn times for our truckers. We are adding an outbound truck gate, additional gantry cranes, initiating a digital appointment system and modernizing our on-dock intermodal container transfer facility. Truckers are the backbone of any port and we appreciate what they mean to the Port of Baltimore.”
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[18] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 4 / 2022