Category Archives: ports

The Transportation Needs of Business and Texas Ports. 3 Pieces of Intel.

Where did the issue of transportation needs at Texas ports arise? The Harris County International Trade and Transportation Conference

Why is more transportation infrastucture needed? nflux of petrochemical-related cargo

What are trains saying? 

  • trains take big trucks off the roads
  • big trucks don’t pay their fair share for road damage

What does a petrochemical logistics manager say about the need for roads? A dedicated corridor for trucks carrying heavier loads would be an…

Texas Transportation Shortfalls Hamstringing Texas Ports.

Texas Ports need transportation infrastructure. The transportation woes of the Port of Houston hing on these details:

  • From 2010 to 2015 truck traffic went from 10,000/day to near 30,000 trucks per day
  • Truck traffic is set to grow by 2X again
  • the problem isn’t funding- port operators would likely chip in
  • the problem is—-TXDOT

Houston Business Journal | Congestion could stifle Port of Houston growth, CEO says

Calhoun Port Authority, Port Expansion. 3 Reasons Why.

Calhoun Port Authority is adding a new ship pier for these reasons:

  • Matagorda Bay has been an active port for 400 yhears
  • Matagorda Bay needs to accomodate larger ships and this pier will accomodate ships up to 145 feet wide and 900 feet long
  • Economic Development. Economic Development. Economic Development

Funding for the project includes a federal cost share agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Victoria Advocate | Port expansion will help regional economy

4 Points of Import. Texas Ports. New Panama Canal

Texas energy exports: The 1st oil and gas export left the Port of Corpus Christi earlier this year

Energy exports will benefit from the new Panama Canal with its 50 foot drafts.

How the new Panama Canal sets up a quagmire for Texas: Texas ports can only handle a draft of 45 feet.

The funding issue: Most coastal states fund Port maintenance and expansion. Texas does not. It uses user fees and some local property taxes. The cost to expand the Port of Houston is $55-$60 million.

Energy…

TREND. 3 Ways Port of Houston Freight Shuttle Will Change Port Transportation.

The Port of Houston and researchers at Texas A&M Transportation Institute generated Freight Shuttle International entered into an agreement to start testing.

3 Ways this shuttle project will revolutionize freight, disrupting the industry: 

  • It solves for freight’s most pressing quagmire: moving goods less than 500 miles
  • It will make use of existing right of ways to move freight on a guideway track
  • Uses 1/3 the energy of trucks

Railway Track and Structures | Freight Shuttle eyes…

Driverless Freight Scheduled for Port of Houston. 3 Key Pieces of Intel

Developer of driverless freight technology:  Freight shuttle system technology developed at Texas A&M University

Announcement of the collaboration: September 9th in Bryan, TX

How will the port utilize the technology? The port will hold a  privately funded licensee of the technology

Government Technology | Electric, Driverless Freight Shuttle Might Solve Trucking-Related Problems in Texas

5 Things to Know about Port of Houston Sale of Bayport Terminal.

  • Houston’s foray into the cruise ship industry included the Bayport Cruise Terminal, a $108 million project
  • Critics of the Bayport Cruise Terminal called it a “boondoggle”
  • Other critics said the problem was the industrial environment is not the scenery for a cruise ship terminal
  • In 2012, the Port approved $6.7 million in incentives to Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises
  • The numbers couldn’t compete with Galveston’s cruise data:
    • In 2016 Galveston will…

Port Traffic Expands Exponentially Due to Energy Market. Your informed Intel:

Why is port traffic increasing because of wind energy? The parts necessary to build a wind turbine are large and transported via port.

Let’s look at the impact on the Port of Corpus Christi:

  •  99,300 tons of wind energy-related equipment and materials in 2015
  • Wind energy parts gobbled up port space and the Port had to us a 200-acre parcel on the north side of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel for storage of wind energy parts

Corpus Christi Caller Times | Wind energy exports making…

TRENDING. Port. Trucker Classification.

What’s the issue about Ports and trucking companies? Whether drivers of trucks at ports are employees of the trucking companies or independent contractors

What’s the big deal whether truckers at ports are employees or not? 

  • It is a legal issue that has wrapped up ride share companies & FEDEX
  • Uber paid more than $100 M to settle claims
  • FedEx settled at $228 Million on a driver classification suit

Where is this issue hitting the cost of goods at ports & trucking costs? 

  • Ports of Long…