During the golden age of sail, cargo ships were worked by hand. Stevedores, “breaking the bulk” of the ships hold, unloaded freight by part and parcel. Thus, the term breakbulk was born.
The movement of live animals by ocean carriage is a highly specialized logistics niche, requiring a wide range of supply chain expertise.
Serving industries in New York’s “Central Tier”, the greater Albany area and western Massachusetts, the port of Albany provides a vital link for the movement of break bulk and project cargo to the region. Served by two major class 1 railroads and with immediate access to the interstate highway system, the port extends its reach far beyond its geographic boundaries.
Millions of packages that flowed one-way through the supply chain to the consumer must now be turned and move back through the supply chain to the appropriate destination. No easy task for a logistics system largely built to deliver.
Turn time is the bench mark by which ocean terminals measure efficiency. The longer it takes to move a container on or off the ship or through the facility, the costlier that unit becomes in terms of handling and vessel delay.
When we think of intermodal rail, we envision containers or breakbulk cargo moving via one of our tier 1 carriers such as the U.P. or the CSX. We tend to forget that many more commodities begin or end their transit via short line railroads.
Earlier this month the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) signed an agreement with Wilhelmsen Ship Services (WSS) and Airbus to develop an unmanned air system (UAS) to assist in various port and ship operations.
Last year China mirrored our taste for live lobster as export demand grew 7.4% to 55,500 tons at a value of over $126 million. In fact, total exports from Maine contributed around $1 billion to the state’s economy.
Earlier this month the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) held their annual meeting with Congress to discuss various topics important to 3-PLs and cargo owners. On their agenda was the issue of nationwide approval for the use of twin 33’ trailers on our highways.
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