Port of Oakland Oks long-term lease for speedy cargo flow

Oakland, Calif. – July 29, 2019: A program that accelerates Port of Oakland cargo flow has a new lease on life…literally.  Port Commissioners last week approved a firm’s 13-year lease to continue moving loaded import containers off Oakland docks.

The agreement keeps Shippers Transport Express on 32 acres at the Port’s Seaport Logistics Complex through 2032.  The firm transports loaded containers from Oakland’s largest marine terminal to a less-crowded pick-up point nearby.  The Port said the service is essential in speeding import cargo to final destinations domestically.

“Shippers Transport Express hauls 400 loaded import containers off the terminal every night,” pointed out Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll.  “That frees up space at the terminal for additional cargo and makes it easy to collect those containers for delivery.”

The firm transports import containers away from a terminal where 25 ships a week load and unload cargo.  It parks the boxes on chassis one mile distant so truckers can pick them up quickly day or night.  The benefits include:

• A 15-minute-or-less transaction time to collect cargo at Shippers Transport Express instead of approximately 75 minutes at the terminal;
• Less crowding at the terminal to cut down its transaction times; and
• Faster delivery of import containers to waiting cargo owners.

Import relocations are part of Oakland’s strategy to hasten cargo flow, the Port said.  Other elements include night gates for truckers to ease daytime crowding and appointment systems for cargo pick-up.  The strategy has cut significantly into truck driver transaction times that once extended beyond two hours, the Port said.

The Port said rent for the Shippers Transport Express property would average $4 million annually.  The Port would spend $7 million paving the land for container parking.

About the Port of Oakland

The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland Seaport, Oakland International Airport, and nearly 20 miles of waterfront including Jack London Square. The Port’s 5-year strategic plan – Growth with Care – pairs business expansion with community benefits, envisioning more jobs and economic stimulus as the Port grows. Together with its business partners, the Port supports more than 84,000 jobs in the region. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.

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