Vision 2000
Meeting The Challenge
In the highly competitive shipping and transportation industries, time is truly money. Efficient movement of goods is the prime goal and must be achieved at every point in the system. This intermodal system includes ship, shore, and rail facilities.

The shipping channels in the Oakland harbor are the front door to Pacific rim trade. Container ships have consistently increased in size and draft, requiring 50-foot water depths. Within several years, these deep draft vessels will comprise 77% of container capacity in the fleet. Each large vessel carries more units of cargo at a lower cost per unit, producing economies of scale. Shipping companies have formed alliances to trade and share space on the large vessels. The ships travel fully loaded and operate at peak efficiency.

The marine terminal, the next step in the cargo chain, is where high-speed cranes unload the ship, stack the inbound containers and reload the ship with outbound containers. Large forklifts move the containers onto railcars or trucks bound for inland destinations. Terminal yards have only so much storage space. Increasing the capacity of marine terminals reduces loading delays and the container ship operates at peak performance.

The final link in the intermodal system is the railroad. Railroads transport 60% of all containers nationwide. Rail lines located close to terminal yards, but not constraining storage capacity, allow for the greatest cost effectiveness. Containers can be double stacked on many rail lines for the most efficient form of cargo transport. The recently merged railroads are increasing the size and clearance of tunnels along their main lines allowing double stacked trains access to the Port of Oakland.