Night gates begin today in Oakland

Night gates begin today in Oakland    The Port of Oakland and the Oakland International Container Terminal, operated by SSA, today began a two- to three-month pilot test of night gates for export containers.
   The program will function somewhat like PierPass, the port-wide night operations plan in Long Beach and Los Angeles, except that loads moving during the day will not be charged a fee, and the night gates will only be used for exports.
   'The flow of commerce for the export side of business, particularly the agricultural side, is important,' Port of Oakland spokeswoman Marilyn Sandifur said Tuesday.
   SSA was chosen, Sandifur added, because of the range of carriers that call at the terminal, a variety that could increase the chances that shippers would use the night gates.
   The target volume for the night project is 15 percent of the terminal's moves.
   'We don't know if that means it's financially viable, but that would be a successful volume,' Sandifur said. 'If it hits the target volume and it's financially viable, it could be extended. The success of the project is going to depend on the level of participation from the exporters and the truckers.'