Source : http://www.seaportspr.com/ : Mega-Vessels Invade
Source : http://www.seaportspr.com/ Mega-Vessels Invade Monday, March 21, 2005 By: Bill Mongelluzzo - Contributing Editor Twenty miles of trucks and six stacktrains. That's what Ed DeNike will be looking at each time an 8,000-TEU container ship disgorges a full load at SSA Marine's Long Beach terminal. These big ships, replacing vessels about half their size in the trans-Pacific trade, are arriving at West Coast ports for the first time this year. The larger ships are staying in port twice as long as the ships they're replacing, making twice the demand on rail and truck capacity. When possible, SSA puts six gantry cranes to work on the ships around the clock. Even then, it takes three days. With a rough 50-50 split between rail and truck moves, each ship fills about a half-dozen stacktrains and 2,000 truck chassis, which with their tractors are enough to stretch about 20 miles. The stress on ports, terminals and inland infrastructure will only get greater. China Ocean Shi...