PANYNJ ready for winter

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s winter outlook was issued last month. It has predicted a warmer and wetter winter, but not necessarily snow and ice.

The Port Authority of NY and NJ will continue to host planning conferences in advance of predicted weather events, whilst any changes in hours of operations or terminal closures will be communicated through the PortNYNJAlerts system.

In terms of roadways and terminals, the port authority will pre-treat roadways with brine before conditions deteriorate and have increased the amount of snow removal equipment on hand at terminals.

If there is a joint decision made to close container terminals for the entire day due to weather the terminal operators will extend free time by 24 hours to all containers not already in demurrage.

While Intermodal Equipment Providers will waive per diem charges for the day of the port closure for all chassis on daily or pool usage agreements – provided that they are returned to an authorised stop location within 24 hours of the closure.

From November 2015 until February 2016, Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP) and the CES operators will provide extended service to accommodate the peak season associated with cold treated and perishable imports.

The port authority began issuing an annual winter plan after the record snowfall of 61 inches in 2014 which was more than twice the amount predicted and caused serious disruption.

It also reminded drivers to remove all snow and ice from the tops of containers before coming to the port. It is against the law in many states to operate on public roads with snow or ice on your vehicle.