Transport Partnership
U.b. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies:
Gate Accessibility for Drayage
Improved gate accessibility can increase terminal throughput while reducing time trucks spend idling in
queue. This helps trucking companies save fuel while reducing greenhouse gas, nitrogen oxides and
particulate matter emissions. Extended gate hours and gate systems improvements could save over
SI, 000 in fuel costs and eliminate 5 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per truck annually.
What is the challenge?
Drayage truck traffic peaks during
certain seasons and times of the day
creating inefficiencies for the pick-up
and delivery of cargo. Daytime peaks
in truck volumes reflect the terminal gate
operating hours, warehouse hours, and
the timing preferences of shippers for
pick-ups and deliveries. Traditional gate
hours combined with inefficient gate
access can result in lengthy lineups at
gates and increased turn times. In a
U.S. Maritime Administration survey,
gate hours of operations were identified
as an impediment to "efficient and
effective cargo movement" at 38% of the
country's largest container ports. These
peaks in drayage traffic, which often
coincide with commuter rush hour traffic,
not only increase fuel costs and delivery
time, but also exacerbate air pollution.
What is the solution?
Gate Accessibility
There are a number of options that can
improve the efficiency and throughput of
terminal gates. Reversible gates allow
trucks to enter or exit depending on the
demand for either service. Two-stage
gates allow for the verification of
information at one gate followed by
actual gate inspection. Terminal staging
areas allow for the quick drop off or pick
up of a trailer. These strategies make
more efficient use of otherwise idle gate
capacity, reduce idling time and improve
fuel efficiency.
Time-Shifting
Shifting a portion of truck traffic to
evening and weekend hours can reduce
both the number of trucks waiting at
terminal gates and those entering local
highways during peak hours. Time-
shifting programs require operational
changes by port management, terminal
operators, snippers, warehouses, and
labor organizations. Components of
comprehensive
time-shifting strategies include
extending hours of operation for terminal
gates, and warehouse and shipping
facilities, ensuring labor availability and
initiating incentive programs such as
peak shipping charges.
The results are in ...
Studies have shown that a 50%
reduction in wait time is possible through
improved gate accessibility. Savannah,
New Orleans, Los Angeles are just a
few of the ports that have implemented
extended gate hours or individual gate
improvements. Extended hours can
benefit terminals with increased
container throughput and customer
satisfaction. Trucking firms/drivers
benefit from increased number of turns
per shift, increasing income and
providing an incentive to attract drivers
into the industry.
The Port of Savannah has nearly
doubled container volumes in recent
years. Over the same period, truck turn
times have decreased on average from
U.S. EPA Office of Transportation & Air Quality • EPA420-F-06-006 • (734) 214-4767 phone • smartway_transport@epa.gov •
www.ena.nov/smartwav
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75 minutes in 2000, to 42 minutes in
2004. This has been achieved by a
combination of gate and yard planning
measures. The port has extended gate
hours, added additional specialized
traffic lanes and implemented a two-
stage gate system.
Terminal operators at the Ports of Los
Angeles and Long Beach have
established PierPass, a not-for-profit
company whose mandate is to address
congestion and air quality in the port
regions. In July 2005, PierPass
launched its OffPeak program to shift
15-25% of cargo to off-peak hours
through extended gate hours and peak
hour shipping charges. Initial responses
have been greater than expected, with
nearly 30% of containers now shipped
at night, an increase from 10% prior to
the start of OffPeak. During the
program's first four weeks 188,000 truck
trips were diverted from peak-hour
traffic.
Next steps
Terminal operators and Port Authorities
should consider the implementation of
gate efficiency measures to reduce
congestion in and around port facilities.
Consultation with stakeholders,
including port management, terminal
and warehouse operators, shippers,
freight carriers, labor representatives
and surrounding communities is a key
step to undertake early in the planning
process in order to garner full support
for the changes.
U.S. EPA Office of Transportation & Air Quality • EPA420-F-06-006 • (734) 214-4767 phone • smartway_transport@epa.gov •
www.ena.nov/smartwav
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