Oakland foresees busier future

Speaking in front of an audience of supply chain officials, who meet three times a year to review Oakland’s operating performance, John Driscoll claimed that three international shipping lines are thinking about Oakland first calls – important as the first port of call is where ships unload most US imports – because of recent port improvements.

Oakland could see a rise in import volumes if any of the shipping companies decide to undertake first calls there.

“The ocean carriers are looking favourably at Oakland. It’s a major discussion between them and their import customers,” commented Mr Driscoll.

The director also said that the combination of improved infrastructure and new supply chain capabilities should lead to record cargo volumes at the US port.

He explained that construction projects currently being undertaken at the facility would attract extra containerised cargo to the facility from 2018, estimating all-time highs in Oakland cargo volume annually through 2022.

“I’m forecasting growth because of the development that’s going on here. It won’t be dramatic – it will be steady – but it will result in more cargo volume than we’ve ever had before,” he said.

Mr Driscoll identified the port’s crane-raising, Cool Port Oakland, Seaport Logistics Complex and Truck Service Center projects as the ventures drawing the most shipping line interest.

The first of these initiatives concerns the raising of four ship-to-shore cranes – by 27 feet – at Oakland International Container Terminal, with work on the second of the four cranes expected to finish by the end of this year and completion of the entire venture anticipated for the middle of 2018.

Cool Port Oakland is the development and operation of a 280,000-square-foot, refrigerated facility for processing beef and poultry exports, with the plant expected to open next August and handle the equivalent of 27,000 teu containers of meat annually.

Construction of the Seaport Logistics Complex, a $52m, 440,000-square-foot distribution centre for transloading, is anticipated to start late next year.

Finally, negotiations are still underway to build the Truck Service Center, an 8-acre facility for harbour truck drivers with food stops, fuelling stations and overnight parking – though no timetable for construction has been made so far.