Ken Johns

Tuesday, April 26 marked the 60th anniversary of containerization. In 1956, trucking magnate, Malcolm McLean, frustrated over the inefficiencies of unloading trucks by hand and reloading cargo onto ships, acquired a World War II era tank ship, which was renamed the Ideal X. A metal platform was installed above the tank tops and piping so that the trailers, soon to be known as shipping containers, could be loaded onto the deck. At Berth 24 in Port Newark, McLean loaded 58 trailers on the deck of the Ideal X, which sailed several hours later on its maiden voyage to Houston, TX. Containerization had been born. ByRead More →

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National Maritime Day

In honor of National Maritime Day, the Port Authority has partnered with the Seaman’s Church Institute, NYSA, Seafarer’s International House, and the American Merchant Marine Veterans of New Jersey to sponsor a two-day interactive exhibit of ship models built out of LEGO. The event will be held at Seaman’s Church Institute at 118 Export Street, Port Newark from 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM on May 9th and 10th. A flier with more information and a sample of the model ships is posted at: http://www.teachfleet.com/_ship_gallery.  We encourage all to stop by during lunch or bring your kids back after work. For those with a Scout troop, youthRead More →

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Truckers should be aware that lower-level eastbound lanes of the George Washington Bridge (GWB) will close during overnight hours next week to facilitate ongoing pavement repairs. These closures could result in increased congestion on the GWB’s upper levels. To  maintain efficiency, truckers should observe the following lower level closure details. Lower-level eastbound lanes will remain open this weekend for the Passover observance from 5 a.m. Friday, April 22 to 9 p.m. Monday, April 25. Lower-level eastbound lanes will experience closures over the following week as follows: On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights next week (April 25-28). Lower-level eastbound lanes will close from 9 p.m.Read More →

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In: Events, Safety and Security, Traffic Advisory

On Thursday, April 14, 2016, Union County College (UCC) officials announced a $900,000 grant through which the school will conduct programming for workers in New Jersey’s transportation, logistics, and distribution (TLD) industry. The grant prepares UCC to develop and deliver training programs for incumbent workers at employers in the state and in training programs that will provide skills to unemployed workers and prepare them for entry into jobs. Union County College has a campus located in Elizabeth, near the Port of New York and New Jersey and its constituent major transportation highways. Recently, the school has been instrumental in offering industry-specific training in Supply ChainRead More →

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Port officials today announced cost reductions for use of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Effective May 1, 2016, the container charge for containers whose destination lies within 260 miles of the port has been reduced by 5.3 percent from $94.00 to $89.00 in all trades except in the Bermuda Trade, which retains its rate of $25.00. The new rates further a trend to reducing operational costs at the Port of New York and New Jersey while welcoming new business and demonstrating loyalty to the old. Cargo containers whose destination lies within 260 miles of the port comprise approximately 60 percent of all containersRead More →

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In: Costs, Econ Insight, Events