As terminal operators acknowledge, providing enhanced efficiencies in the form of new equipment can be costly, and many therefore continue to operate with modest levels of productivity. However, as they also acknowledge, the cost of increasing productivity is significantly lower in a terminal that makes use of a high level of automation, the reason being that labour costs account for 60 of operating costs, and in a terminal with little or no automation every new piece of equipment acquired leads to a hike in labour, and thus operating costs.