Vancouver port adds Tuesday evening truck gate shift

Vancouver port adds Tuesday evening truck gate shift    The Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) and its terminal operators said Friday they are extending hours of operations at container terminals and off-dock facilities in the port by 20 percent through the addition of a night gate shift.
   The port’s three container terminals and five key independent off-dock facilities will add a Tuesday evening gate in a pilot program beginning July 4. In addition to Tuesday evenings, port terminals currently operate extended gates at least one other evening each week, the port said.
   The extended gates program is intended to increase container truck gate operations at Vanterm, Centerm and Deltaport by an average of 20 percent per
year over the next five years. The program came in response to a truck strike in the summer of 2005 that paralyzed cargo container activity on Canada’s West Coast.
   “Extending gate hours increases capacity, helps to alleviate congestion at the terminals and speeds up transaction times,” Chris Badger, the VPA’s vice president, customer development and operations, said in a statement.
   “Extended hours of operations also make more efficient use of the regions road networks by spreading truck traffic over a longer period, reducing congestion during traditional peak times and reducing emissions.”