PierPass to hire consultant to evaluate night operations

The transportation consulting firm will be tasked with evaluating the merits of possible round-the-clock charges or port-wide “peel-off” programs at 13 terminals in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.    PierPass, a program created by the 13 container terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach through their West Coast Martine Terminal Operators Agreement (WCMTOA), said Friday it will “retain a transportation consulting firm to evaluate the operational, business and traffic impacts of two alternative models for providing extended hours” for trucks picking up and delivering containerized cargo at the neighboring Souther California ports.
   Currently, importers and exporters moving containers to and from L.A. and Long Beach terminals during the day – between 3 a.m. and 6 p.m. – pay a $70.49 per TEU “traffic mitigation fee” to PierPass, which is then used by the terminals to fund operations to allow truckers to deliver and receive containers at night (6 p.m.-3 a.m.) and on Saturdays (8 a.m-5 p.m.)
   That “Off-Peak” program has been in operation since 2005, and has helped reduce congestion on streets and highways around the two ports. A bit more than half the cargo moves at day, and a little less than half at night, according to PierPass.
   One proposal being considered is to charge a lower flat fee for both day and night container moves, and assure about the same number of trucks come day and night by using a truck appointment system. Nine terminals already have appointment systems in place.
   Another idea being floated is to create a port-wide “peel-off” program, in which trucks would operate like taxis in an airport queue, picking up whatever container is given to them and taking it to its destination. That system would also require a fee, and the number of containers available during any period would have to be “metered” so that roads do not become congested.
   PierPass has been looking at alternative ways for terminals to fund night operations since last October, when representatives from the 13 terminals met with 70 leaders representing importers, exporters, trucking companies, logistics providers, government representatives, port authorities and other stakeholders.
   Since then, several other meetings were held and a decision to hire a consultant was made.
   PierPass said it expects to send a request for proposals to consultants within the next two months. Among other things, the RFP may request the consultant to:
     • Evaluate the ability of a port-wide appointment system to maintain a roughly even split between day and night traffic;
     • Recommend how dual transactions (dropping off one container and picking up another during a single truck visit) could be facilitated under each alternative system;
     • And recommend how to handle regulatory, compliance and other challenges to implementing a port-wide peel-off system.