Transport Partnership
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies:
    EModal Port Community System for Drayage
            EModal reduces the amount of time trucks spend waiting in queues at terminal gates by establishing
            terminal appointments and eliminating delays caused by fee payments and incomplete information.
            This saves fuel, cuts pollution and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over200 metric tons per
            year at a typical port, while improving earnings for truck drivers/operators and terminal operators.
         Introduction
         Every day, the freight industry is
         challenged with transporting large
         numbers of containers to and from a
         diverse network of transportation
         facilities. In February 2000, the eModal
         system was introduced to help manage
         this "many to many" aspect of container
         movement. Functioning as a
         warehouse of information, eModal
         improves the communication  and
         coordination between the trucking,
         marine and rail communities.  The
         eModal software manages pertinent
         information from many marine terminals,
         allowing for easy and efficient
         coordination between terminals and
         trucking companies.  Today eModal is
         the nation's largest online port
         community system with thirty-four
         marine terminals on both U.S. coasts
         participating via this common portal.

         Program Description
         EModal's applications focus
         predominantly on the truck and marine
         terminal gate interface. Efficient marine
         terminal gates equate to  reduced truck
         queuing and idling. To increase gate
         efficiencies, eModal provides a common
         portal of container and export booking
         status  information.  Trucking companies,
         customs brokers and others can check
         cargo status at a terminal, pay fees
         online, input the truck driver information
         for verification  at the terminal, and
         schedule an appointment. By using
         web-based technologies, users
          streamline the required processes
          before the trucker arrives at the
          terminal.

          Terminal operators are using eModal as
          one tool to address the increasing
          container volumes moving through U.S.
          port facilities. By allowing online access
          to container information, fee payments
          and appointment scheduling, eModal
          has helped to reduced delays caused by
          problematic transactions
          and peaks in traffic volumes.  Terminal
          operators and trucking companies are
          generally pleased with the system's
          ease of use and ability to eliminate time-
          consuming communications between
          terminals, dispatchers and drivers.  To
          achieve significant congestion mitigation
          benefits, terminals have indicated that
          greater participation within the trucking
          community will be required.

          Applications included in eModal, such as
          online fee payment and appointment
          scheduling  tools, have provided
          terminals and trucking companies with
          improved information exchange and
          processing efficiency. This allows
          terminals to process greater volumes of
          truck traffic, while decreasing fuel
          consumption and diesel emissions
          resulting from trucks queuing at terminal
          gates.

          Online fee payment allows demurrage
          fees to be paid prior to the truck's arrival
          at the terminal using a credit card, debit
          card or electronic check lodged with
        U.S. EPA Office of Transportation & Air Quality
DA420-F-06-008
34) 214-4767 phone • smartway_transport@epa.gov

-------
 eModal, avoiding delays associated with
 fee payments. Stopping to pay fees at
 some terminals can add15-60 minutes
 onto a trip to the terminal. It is estimated
 that due to online payments,
 approximately 17 fewer trucks stop at a
 gate per hour, saving over 200 metric
 tons of C02 per year at a typical port.

 Prior to the introduction of eModal,
 appointment scheduling was limited
 because it was considered too
 cumbersome a process for many
 trucking firms. EModal has facilitated the
 greater use of appointment systems by
 improving  its accessibility to the trucking
 community. By smoothing out the delays
 caused by daily and weekly fluctuations
 in traffic volumes, the appointment
 scheduling tool has allowed some
 terminals such as the Oakland
           International Terminal to accommodate
           growth in gate volumes.

           Conclusion
           EModal addresses the need for
           convenient and efficient communications
           that is central to eliminating bottlenecks
           in the national freight system. By
           facilitating a smoother flow of goods
           between terminals and trucks eModal
           improves the bottom line for terminals,
           truck drivers and trucking companies
           while reducing the impact of ports on
           local air quality.

           Contact Information
           More information on eModal's services,
           registration and a complete list of
           participating terminals are available
           online at: www.emodal.com  or contact
           John Gushing at (949) 474-3140.
U.S. EPA Office of Transportation & Air Quality
iPA420-F-06-008 • (734) 214-4767 phone • smartway_transport@epa.gov
 www.epa.gov/smartwav

-------