■ Transportation
Continued From Page 8 employment to the overall economy of the port . But unlike the travel and hospitality industries that were hobbled by the pandemic , the gateway was pushed into high gear because e-commerce exploded , resulting in a high demand for durable goods , home appliances and electronics .
“ There was a huge uptick in cargo to gateways throughout the country ,” Bozza said . Despite initial concerns , he said the port handled more than 7.5 million TEUs ( twenty-foot equivalent containers ) in 2020 — just ahead of the previous year ’ s volume . Cargo grew by 18 percent in 2021 also , he said , adding that 9 million TEUs were processed last year . Preliminary reports for 2022 show there has already been a 12 percent increase .
The surge had led to huge competition for space on vessels , which was the catalyst for repurposing the ro-ro vessels . They were also able to accommodate the auto parts because there were fewer cars to transport due to the semi-conductor shortage .
“ The gateway had to be creative in a number of ways ” since the onset of the pandemic , Bozza said . The first critical test occurred when the Council of Port Performance united to make certain the longshoremen were safe . The council is comprised of all the major stakeholders : Port Authority , the marine terminal operators , labor , the railroads , truckers and customs agencies . They worked together to secure personal protective equipment for the longshoremen .
The PA ’ s tenants have adapted to changing times and needs also . One auto tenant
Offloaded shipment of at Newark shipyard .
leveraged property that was going unused for containers . While another , which had space because the chassis it normally stored were all in service , offered its yard for long-dwelling loaded containers .
The competitive nature of the marine terminal operators also took a backseat as they found it was best to work as a consortium to keep the gateway operating effectively . Innovations like the repurposing of the ro-ro vessels are likely to keep occurring , Bozza predicted , because supply chain issues have ingrained the need to diversify .
Car carrier delivering new vehicles to dealerships .
Along with innovation , there will also be investment as the gateway keeps pace with the demands of e-commerce . The PA master plan did not expect the 9 million TEUs cargo volume handled in 2021 to occur until 2026 . The surge in consumer buying upended the projections and will trigger millions of dollars in spending for new equipment and upgrades . investment and expansion .
Bozza said the PA is already speaking with the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel to 55 feet to handle larger ships .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / RomanBabakin Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto / liorpt
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