Miami may extend truck gate hours

Miami may extend truck gate hours    Officials at the Port of Miami are considering extending the hours of port truck gates beyond the current 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
   Truckers support the idea. because they say they could make an extra run each day if the truck gates were open longer. The port is open to vessel traffic 24 hours a day, but is not open to truck traffic in the evenings.
   According to a report in the Miami Herald, assistant port director Juan Kurlya said a decision would have to be made in conjunction with terminal operators and the local warehousing industry, which in some cases is not in a position to accept cargo at all hours.
   The port is also weighing the costs. With rising port security costs and the state of Florida setting the nation's highest standards for port security requirements, other areas of the port budget have been strained.
   At Port Everglades, located about an hour north of the Port of Miami, one truck entrance is open around-the-clock, and the other two entrances are open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.